Zander Siokis has been on the mound and in the batter’s box for most of his life. The South Lake High School senior pitcher, who began playing baseball at age 5, is wrapping up a 13-year love affair with the game that started when his parents, Billy and Heather Siokis, signed him up for youth leagues.

Zander is wrapping up a senior season that saw him pitch 43.1 innings, toss 44 strikeouts and give up just 10 earned runs helping South Lake make the district championship game and finishing district runner-up after a 11-1 loss to Lake Minneola. 

Now a standout arm for the South Lake Eagles, Siokis credits his father as his primary role model.

“My dad is my role model because he has set the standard for hard work and helped me get to the place I am now,” he says 

But Zander is not just a great athlete. He is an even better student. Zander carries a 4.9 GPA and plans to continue his education after graduation, heading to college to study business. He also played basketball for South Lake this past season and stays active outside of sports by hanging out with friends and trying different activities.

One of his favorite high school memories involves the camaraderie built during overnight team trips and post-game dinners. But his all-time favorite baseball moment remains more personal: hitting his first home run. Those moments have helped him in so many more ways than just competing on the field. They’ve provided life lessons. 

“Baseball has taught me that I’m going to fail and things are going to get hard but that I can and will persevere through the challenges,” Zander says. 

He pointed to former coach Leitner as particularly influential, recalling how the coach consistently told him he believed in him.

“That was very important to me. My biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome was my mental game because that’s not something you can just workout or practice,” he explains. “I had to trust in myself to perform at a high level and not doubt my abilities.”

Zander also serves on the traffic team at Lakeside Church. He gives back to his community every chance he can get. 

When asked what advice he would give to younger players who look up to him, Zander says “I would tell them that they should do everything 100% because you don’t want to look back and regret not giving your best.”

This season, Zander was especially appreciative of his teammates’ drive.

“I enjoy how the team wanted to win so bad,” he says. “They all put in extra work and want each other to get better.”

Ultimately that drive led to a winning season at 17-10 and a trip to the District Championship. While South Lake did not make the FHSAA playoffs this season, it was another foundational year that continues to show how far South Lake has come in recent years. This is the most amount of wins for South Lake in a season since 2019. 

Playing for South Lake, is a grind and it’s constantly a competition. But that’s what I love about it,” says Zander. 

As Zander prepares to take to the stage for graduation in just one month, he no doubt will carry with him the lessons he’s learned, the belief, and memories that will last a lifetime. Congratulations to Zander Siokis on a fantastic high school baseball career.