From winning a state championship in 2009, to becoming a Knights baseball hall of famer in 2022, Robbie Zinsmeister has won the career triple crown after he was inducted to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics Hall of Fame. 

On Saturday, September 13th, North Penn Alum Robbie Zinsmeister was inducted into the IUP Hall of Fame. After an illustrious career with the Knights playing under Coach McCreary, Zinsmeister went on to play at the Division 2 level at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). 

Zinsmeister found success in baseball playing through high school, credited by Coach Bob McCreary with having a huge effect on his team’s success in winning the 2009 State Championship. 

“His consistency [was very important]. Every player is going to have ups and downs, but you kind of knew every day he went out there, he was going to do something well offensively, and he played great defense. He was a leader on the field,” McCreary said.

That memory was complete for Zinsmeister by winning it alongside core friends and teammates from his childhood. 

“Five of us guys had played baseball for such a long time together and just to go out on top my senior year with all of them was by far the best moment,” Zinsmeister said. “I still remember the bus ride out to Altoona and sleeping over there. It was just such a fun time and then coming back to the community after we won was awesome.”

After his high school career, Zinsmeister went on to play a full four-year career at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He continued to tear it up as he became one of the best players to ever don the Crimson Hawks uniform.

“Coach McCreary, being at and [having] played at a high level, knew what we needed to do as players to compete at the next level. [In] the North Penn area in general, through little league to middle school to high school, I had a lot of great coaches that were so invested in baseball,” Zinsmeister said on how North Penn helped him prepare for the college level. 

In his four-year career with the Crimson Hawks, Zinsmeister climbed the leaderboards in multiple statistical categories. As of today, Zinsmeister ranks second in runs scored (193), hits (231), doubles (47), total bases (371), and stolen bases (75), third in triples (21), and fifth in RBI’s (124). He also ranks ninth in home runs (17). He finished with a career batting average of .333. 

“I would say one of my most memorable moments was a playoff game my freshman year. I had a huge hit in the playoffs as a freshman that got us into the second round of the playoffs. IUP hadn’t been to the playoffs in such a long time so I would say that game and that moment sticks with me,” Zinsmeister said on his time at IUP.

Zinsmeister still today has continued to be one of the best baseball players in the area. After he graduated in 2013, he joined the Perky League and has played for ten years, winning all-league honors multiple times and making memories along the way as he still plays to this day. 

Among the top memories, Zinsmeister recalls “winning our first championship after playing for seven years. Another thing would be when I hit three home runs in a game before, I’ve never done that in my whole life.” 

Outside of baseball, Zinsmeister recently got married in October of 2021 and welcomed his first child into this world in June of 2023.

“I think it is just something that has shaped me emotionally, physically, and mentally. You deal with so much failure in baseball and you have to be able to embrace that failure. And by doing so, I think you just become a well-rounded person,” Zinsmeister concluded.