BRADENTON, Fla. — For the first time ever, the IMG Academy baseball team went undefeated sporting a 25-0 record.
"It's been an amazing year," catcher Zion Rose said.
Rose does the dirty work behind the plate.
Committed to Louisville, he should be a high selection in the upcoming MLB draft.
"I know wherever I go now, I'm definitely prepared for what's to come."
The Chicago native made a big move to Florida for his senior season.
He says it has been a great opportunity to get a year ahead on college or pro ball, but it comes with difficulties.
"Yeah, it's been a little hard being away from my family."
Which is why he had to bring a touch of the Rose's to Bradenton.
"We have 12 or 13 scents and they all smell amazing."
Natures Dezzert is a family-owned business. A skin-care product with a personal story.
"My brother has really bad eczema, and my dad was trying to find lotions and stuff to help him out and nothing worked."
It has made him quite popular with his classmates.
"I just bring down duffel bags of it and sell it here. They call me 'Shea Butter Man' on campus."
Rose says he started helping his dad sell Natures Dezzert with his siblings at 14 years old. That experience has translated on the field with his staff of arms.
"Selling a product you can't have the same script to each person because it doesn't work like that. So I think the same thing with pitchers. I mean, every pitcher is different."
And here's another lesson he teaches his pitchers.
No freebies.
I asked him if he was handing this product out to teammates — his response:
"Not handing it out. Selling it," he said while laughing.
He makes a strong pitch when on the field too, just not on the mound.
"I've been full games of catching and people are like 'How do you smell so good after catching a full game?' I'm like 'It's the product.'
One day, Zion hopes to make the bag playing baseball.
But until then, helping dad out on the side is not a bad gig either.
"It's hard not to focus on the future, but I definitely try to stay in the present and enjoy the moments because I know once they pass, I'm going to look back on it and back like 'dang.'"