From hot humid weather in Miami, Florida to the blistering cold climate in Boone, spring 2025 graduate infielder Joseph Zamora has made the High Country home. 

“It was baseball once I was born, and I’ve been playing it since I was five,” Joseph Zamora said. 

Joseph Zamora was born in a family full of athletes. He said his father — Freddy Zamora Sr. — and mother both played sports at an advanced level, with his father playing professional baseball in Nicaragua in the 1990s and his mother playing softball and volleyball. 

Joseph Zamora’s older brother, Freddy Zamora Jr., played collegiate baseball at University of Miami before playing in the major league for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was the 53rd pick in the second round of the 2020 draft.

“Having our family in our corner, someone that knows the sport, it can help a lot, we have it in our blood I guess,” Freddy Zamora Jr. said. “He loves to eat so we would always have a joke as a family that if he didn’t play sports he would probably just be rolling around.”

Freddy Zamora Sr. played in the 1991 International Cup, putting his name on the roster at the 1996 Olympics. 

From the influence of his father and brother, Joseph Zamora started his baseball career at Miami Dade College, just a short drive from home.

 “It was the best opportunity I had out of college because of COVID,” Joseph Zamora said. “That affected a lot of scholarships to Division I schools, so I had a good connection with the coaches.”

Joseph Zamora hit off two seasons at Miami Dade in 2022-23, with a batting average of .326. Joseph Zamora was versatile playing both shortstop and second base. As a freshman he made first-team All-Southern Conference and Florida’s All Tournament squad. 

During his final year in Miami, he appeared in 49 games with 4 home runs and 33 RBIs. 

Joseph Zamora wanted to write his own ending, and needed a new school to call home. 

“It was a scary transition because I didn’t know a lot about Boone,” Joseph Zamora said. 

Miami Dade College gave Joseph Zamora the platform to grow on and off the field to ultimately become a more mature player. 

App State assistant coach Britt Johnson has been a guiding hand in the transition leaving home and becoming a Mountaineer. 

“He’s had to come in here and do some work academically, we’ve stayed on him on that,” Johnson said. 

As Joseph Zamora suited up for his first season in Black and Gold, he became a name to remember. He started in all 51 games while batting .371 in conference play. Joseph Zamora’s outstanding effort landed him 12th in the Sun Belt Conference during his first season in the Black and Gold uniform.

On March 26, 2024, after just two short months, he was named Sun Belt Player of the Week. Joseph Zamora’s 187 at bats, recorded him 56 hits and 46 runs in his first season in 2024.

“Since I got here it’s been a rise for me as a player and just getting better at everything I do here,” Joseph Zamora said. 

Walking out of the dugout at the end of May left Joseph Zamora to focus on his final senior season.

“He’s the guy that you want to catch the ground ball at the end of the game, he’s the guy you want to be hitting at the end of the game and that puts a lot of pressure on him as a player,” Johnson said. 

Joseph Zamora’s family has been supporting his baseball career ever since he stepped onto the field. 

“It’s hard to play this sport without having someone there to support you,” Freddy Zamora Jr. said. “Joseph, my younger brother and myself, we have my mom, my dad and my sister just always there when they can at games.”

Before committing to a school and beginning the transition, Joseph Zamora said talking to your family about the new chapter while also not being timid to take risks will help you land in the school that matches your abilities. 

In 2025, Joseph Zamora hit the ground running. He recorded 4 RBIs and 1 run against Queen’s University of Charlotte in his first game of the new regular season. 

Joseph Zamora’s talent has only excelled throughout the season leading into conference play. Zamora secured 41 runs, 63 hits and 34 RBIs. He obtained a knock-out home run against University of Massachusetts Lowell and Wake Forest. 

As his final season is nearing the end, the connections Joseph Zamora has made on the roster will continue beyond his time in the High Country. 

Joseph Zamora is currently studying professional studies and after his baseball career, he hopes to obtain a job in sales. Freddy Zamora Jr. sees a bright future ahead for Joseph Zamora. 

“I hope he gets a shot with a pro baseball team somewhere, I really think he has that talent that is next level,” Freddy Zamora Jr. said. 

Outside of that, though, Joseph Zamora said he enjoyed the company of his teammates off the field.

“I can’t wait till after we’re done playing baseball to hang out with these guys everyday,” Joseph Zamora said.