Serra graduate Zach Button finds his very own field of dreams

It was a good year for the Bucks, who saw their season come to an end Tuesday with a 6-3 loss to the St. Cloud Rox in the semifinal playoff game. It was the first time Waterloo had qualified for the Northwoods League playoffs since 2002.

“It’s a really talented team,” Button said. “A lot of versatile athletes. It’s not like last year. Last year it was a lot of home runs, a lot of power. This year it’s more playing as a team and being able to execute.”

For Button, though, the field-of-dreams effect is never more real than when he returns home to San Mateo. This is where he hits the field with his old Serra teammates, such as Drew Dowd (Stanford), Nick Lopez (Stanford), Mitchell Scott (Cal), Brad Shimabuku (Chapman University), Chris Fung (UC San Diego), Matty Fung (Santa Barbara Community College) and Michael Sarhatt (Skyline College).

It’s nothing as dramatic as the group walking out of the cornfields, but it’s still a reunion with plenty of quality baseball to offer when they all hit a local Peninsula field, such as Sea Cloud Park. And the group transcended the Northwoods League this summer, with Lopez, Sarhatt and another Serra graduate, Dominic Meza, playing for the Duluth Huskies.

The Bucks and Huskies met Sunday in the Northwoods League playoffs. Waterloo knocked out the Huskies with an 8-6 victory with Button emerging in the ninth inning to earn the save. As fate would have it, the right-hander found himself locking up with Meza for the final out of the game. Meza lined out to center field to end Duluth’s season, and prolong Button’s with the Bucks.

“It was a lot of fun,” Button said. “I’ve thrown against him a lot of times. It’s always fun to see a familiar face in the batter’s box to try and get bragging rights.”

Button is a full-time pitcher now, but he is part of a strong fraternity of Serra catchers who have gone on to play at the next level.

Button entered his senior year at Serra in 2018 as a third baseman. But when regular catcher Cameron Barstad — now playing in the Miami Marlins minor league system — was lost midway through the year to a wrist injury, Button took over behind the plate for a Padres team that reached the Central Coast Section Open Division semifinals.

Since entering the college ranks, Button has focused on pitching. The closest he has got to returning to catching was getting in the squat as a bullpen catcher for the Bucks, who found themselves with a shortage of catching depth this summer.

“Once college came around, pitching, longevity wise, was the better option,” Button said. “So that was the better plan.”

Button spent two years at College of San Mateo before he and teammate Carlo Lopiccolo transferred to Cal Poly. While Lopiccolo had a solid year — making 14 relief appearances, going 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA through 22 2/3 innings — Button had his struggles. The right-hander worked in nine games while finishing with an inflated 8.38 ERA.

His summer campaign has been much more productive. Through 17 games, he posted an 0-2 record with a 4.20 ERA, allowing 15 hits and four walks through 15 innings while totaling 19 strikeouts.

“Recently, (I’ve been throwing) pretty good,” Button said. “It was definitely a rocky start but I’m building confidence back up.”

Entering his senior season of athletic eligibility in 2022, Button is happy with his role as reliever.

“Every pitcher wants the ball in that situation, that high intensity, high leverage situation,” Button said. “So, getting the ball in that situation … it’s one of those things, I really want the ball in my hand, and I want to be in control.”

Button was able to visit the real Field of Dreams earlier this summer. His parents were in town to visit and, fittingly, Button and his father David were able to have a game of catch on the field.

“Our yeah,” Button said. “First thing he asked.”