Baseball

2022 (Junior – Houston Christian): Zarella tied for the team lead with 25 appearances, all out of the bullpen… ranked second on the team with a 3.08 ERA and .196 opponent batting average… finished 1-0 with one save while striking out 22 batters in 26.1 innings of work… allowed nine earned runs, 20 hits, and eight walks… made his season debut against Rutgers (Feb. 18), striking out the only batter he faced… delivered a season-long 3.2 innings with a season-high three strikeouts against New Orleans (Apr. 3)… also punched out three batters while picking up his first victory of the year in 1.2 innings of work at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Apr. 15)… earned his first career save following 1.1 innings against UIW (May 1)… turned in 2.2 innings out of the bullpen without allowing a run against McNeese (May 14)… turned in seven straight scoreless appearances to open the season… posted 19 total scoreless outings… completed at least 1.0 innings in 16 games… struck out multiple batters six times.

2021 (Sophomore – Houston Christian*): Zarella turned in 13 total appearances, including eight starts on the mound, in his first season with HCU… finished the year 0-8 with a 7.35 ERA… tallied 36 strikeouts in 52.2 innings of work… allowed 43 earned runs, 71 hits, and 24 walks… made his first start at Rice (Feb. 20), tossing 5.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts… completed a season-long outing of 7.0 innings at New Orleans (Mar. 12), allowing just three earned runs with three punch outs… fanned a season-high eight patters while allowing only three earned runs in 6.0 innings at Nicholls (Mar. 27)… turned in back-to-back scoreless appearances out of the bullpen, tossing 1.0 inning with one hit allowed against Abilene Christian (May 2) and completing 1.0 innings with no hits allowed at UIW (May 7)… finished 5.0 innings or more seven times… struck out four or more batters in four games.

2020 (Sophomore – Alvin CC): Zarella appeared in seven games, all starts on the hill, as a sophomore before the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic… finished 3-1 with a 4.24 ERA and team-high three wins… racked up 34 strikeouts in a team-high 34.0 innings of work… allowed 16 earned runs, 38 hits, and 14 walks… struck out a season-high seven batters in 4.0 innings while allowing just one hit and one walk in his first start of the year against Coastal Bend College (Jan. 31)… picked up his first victory of the year following five K’s in 4.2 innings against Western Texas College (Feb. 7)… completed 6.0 innings while fanning five and allowing just two earned runs against Blinn College (Feb. 22)… turned in a season-long 7.0 innings with six punch outs to pick up the win at Wharton County JC (Mar. 12) in the final game of the season… completed at least 4.0 innings in six of his seven starts… fanned five or more batters six times… allowed two earned runs or fewer in four contests.

2019 (Freshman – Alvin CC): Zarella made 13 appearances with four starts as a freshman at Alvin CC… ranked third on the team with a 3.20 ERA as well as four wins as part of a 4-1 record… tallied 33 strikeouts in 45.0 innings… allowed 16 earned runs, 45 hits, and 25 walks… made his collegiate debut with 1.0 inning of work without allowing a run or hit against Temple College (Jan. 26)… picked up his first career win with 2.0 innings scoreless ball out of the pen and three strikeouts against Galveston College (Mar. 23)… turned in his first career start at Laredo College (Apr. 5), completing 6.0 innings with one earned run allowed to earn the win… completed a season-long outing of 8.0 innings at Galveston College (May 4), surrendering just two runs while striking out five… fanned a season-high six batters in 6.0 innings of work at Blinn College (Apr. 11)… delivered 6.2 innings out of the bullpen to earn the win against San Jacinto College-North (Mar. 28), allowing just one run while punching out five… completed more than 1.0 inning nine times… struck out three or more batters in five games… made four scoreless appearances… over his final five appearances, the final four of which were starts, covered 31.2 innings with 22 strikeouts and a 2.56 ERA.

High School: Zarella was a two-sport athlete at Clear Falls High School in League City, Texas, earning three letters as a pitcher for head baseball coach Eddie Youngblood and one letter as a free safety for head football coach Zachary Head… earned All-Conference Second Team and All-District Second Team honors as a senior... also named All-County Honorable Mention during his senior season.

Personal: Son of Susan and Thomas Zarella… born in Houston, Texas on July 9, 1999… full name is Tyler James Zarella… younger brother, Tristan, is a freshman member of the baseball team at Alvin CC… cousin, Delayne Moreno, is a sophomore member of the softball team at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.

Academic: Pursuing a master’s degree in business administration… earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration management from Houston Christian in May 2022, graduating with honors… named to the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll twice… named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll once.

Honors & Awards:

• 2019 NJCAA Texas / New Mexico All-Star Game Selection
• 2019 All-Region XIV Conference Second Team

*Indicates extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.