Red-hot finish sends Lake Wales' Zamya McBurrows to hitter of the year honors

It's not hard to find the key to Lake Wales' run to the state title. Highlanders coach Mike Settle often said that Zamya McBurrows sets the table and gets the team rolling. So when she's hot, Lake Wales is hard to beat.

No player was hotter than McBurrows in the final six games of her high school career, beginning with the district championship game. The senior shortstop hit .619 in those six games and led the Highlanders to the Class 4A state championship.

McBurrows is The Ledger's 2023 Softball Hitter of the Year, an honor that highlights not just hitting but also all-around play.

"She was just unbelievable," Settle said. "She continued to battle through a little bit of adversity, put in extra cuts in the (batting) cage. We knew eventually that Mya was going to get rolling. Like I've said, when she sets the table, it's what get our team going. It was a phenomenal season and obviously postseason."

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McBurrows was hardly tearing it up offensively over the second half of the season. After getting off to a strong start to the season and batting .444 through 14 games, she was scuffling along over the next 12 games, batting a pedistrian .279.

Then in the most important games of her senior year — perhaps of her high school career — she could not be stopped. Beginning with district championship game against Lake Region when she went 2 for 3 in a loss, McBurrows had at least two hits in five of the six games. The only game she had just one hit was in the state semifinals when she homered and still had a .500 on-base percentage.

"I really started focusing in on my hitting, practicing every day and after practice, getting extra cuts," McBurrows said. "I knew I had to get the game started since I'm the lead off batter. If I started off right, it would get us going."

After showing power in the state semifinal game, she showed her speed in the state championship game. Leading off in the first inning, she ripped a single to right field. When the right fielder misplayed it and let the ball roll to the fence, McBurrows knew she was going to score as she circled the bases to give Lake Wales a quick 1-0 lead over Wakulla.

In the final game of her high school career, Wakulla could not get her out. She had three hits, including a triple, walked once and drove in two runs.

"I just felt like it was all coming together," McBurrows said. "I was working on keeping my hands through and getting to the ball and not pulling off. Everything started coming together after those last couple of games, and I really started hitting the ball more. I feel like was just gaining more confidence toward the end and I would go up to bat knowing I was going to hit this ball and get it started."

McBurrows also had 22 stolen bases and was never caught stealing. In fact, over her high school career she was thrown out just once on 64 stolen-base attempts.

"We know that if Mya can get on, she's going to steal second, then depending on what the situation is, sometimes we'll bunt her over to third or try to hit the ball to the right side so she can over," Settle said. "If we get her to third, she'll usually score."

McBurrows ended the season with a .413 batting average with eight doubles, one triple, four home runs, 26 RBIs and 38 runs scored. Two home runs came in the regional semifinals when twice, she followed Kiera Morris' home run with one of her own.

It was quite an end to a spectacular career as she batted over .400 each season, including a high of .466 as a sophomore. She finished with a career batting average of .430.

On the field, she has gotten stronger and faster, but the biggest change in the four years, Settle said and McBurrows agreed, was her leadership.

Ending her career with a state championship was statisfying, especially after finishing runner-up last year and even more so after her freshman season was cut short because of Covid. Lake Wales got off to a 9-1 start before the season was canceled behind the pitching and hitting of her sister Zayla, and McBurrows herself was batting .444. The Highlanders were considered among the favorites to reach the state tournament.

"This feels really good," McBurrows said. "I knew my freshman year we going to go pretty far, and I was sad when the season ended. But being able to finish off with a bang, it really felt good. Honestly, I couldn't picture anything better than this. It was an amazing ending."

McBurrows has signed to play at Florida International, and Settle knows it might be awhile before he coaches another players like McBurrows.

"I've never coached an athlete quite like Zamya," Settle said. "Four years hitting over .400 and just the plays she's made at shortstop, I've never seen anything like it."

Roy Fuoco can be reached at roy.fuoco@theledger.com. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lake Wales' Zamya McBurrows named hitter of the year