Zach Morris signs with Anderson University

Harlem High senior Zach Morris signed a letter of intent Wednesday to continue his baseball career beyond the high school level.

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The 18-year-old will move across the river to play center field for Anderson University, a Division II school in Anderson, S.C.

Though he fielded other offers from such schools as Georgia Southern and Furman University, the decision to go with Anderson was simple, Morris said.

"I really liked it up there," he said during his signing ceremony in Harlem's media center. "I liked the coaches. I liked the baseball field. It feels like I fit in up there."

A star quarterback for the Bulldogs and the Columbia County Player of the Year in football last season, Morris also fielded football offers, but playing baseball was his first choice.

"I've been playing baseball a whole lot longer than football," he said. "I love football, but with baseball, I can just see myself playing it more."

At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, the odds of Morris excelling in baseball at a college level are greater than they are for football.

"I think that (his size) was one of the deciding factors in not going into football," said his father, Doug. "If he had signed football, he would have had to move to a position player. He wouldn't have been quarterback."

Playing baseball at Anderson improves his odds of starting as a freshman.

"They're losing their center fielder, so I can fill that hole," Morris said.

He intends to bulk up during the offseason and plans to work with a trainer during the summer to improve his speed and strength.

"I just want to work hard and contribute as much as I can," he said. "I've got to work hard at getting bigger and stronger."