ATLANTA, Ga. - Georgia Tech's baseball program has produced several household names in the big leagues with Mark Teixeira, Nomar Garciaparra, Jay Payton and Jason Varitek.

Eventually, head coach Danny Hall believes Zach Von Tersch could etch his name on that list.

After a difficult freshman season with the Yellow Jackets, the Cedar Falls alum has blossomed this spring with the nation's 10th-ranked team.

In seven starts as the club's No. 3 starter, the right-hander is 4-1, has a staff-best 2.29 ERA and opponents are hitting just .229 against him.

"I see him being an All-American here, being all-ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) and a guy I see pitching in the big leagues," Hall said. "He has everything to be successful.

"If he continues to work hard and stays healthy, he's going to get an opportunity at the major league level."

Von Tersch was drafted in the 38th round two summers ago by the Washington Nationals. Instead, the 6-foot-5, 213-pounder elected to attend college 900 miles from the Cedar Valley.

"It's been a little bit of an adjustment," Von Tersch said earlier this week. "The traffic is a big difference. You can't go anywhere in 10 minutes, and things are more hectic."

Still, from a baseball perspective, Von Tersch said it turned out to the be the right decision. Currently, five ACC teams are ranked in the Top 25 by Collegiate Baseball News.

"The competition is really good and every weekend you're going against better players," he said. "Plus, the weather helps. It's a little warmer."

However, the transition didn't come without some growing pains.

As a freshman, Von Tersch was 0-1 with an 11.74 ERA in only 15 1/3 innings. He issued almost a walk per frame.

"I thought I would have done a little better last year, but the whole year I could only throw a fastball for a strike," Von Tersch said.

Because of the limited innings and inability to command multiple pitches, the Tech coaching staff thought it was critical for him to get a heavy workload last summer.

Von Tersch went to the Northwoods League and pitched for the Duluth Huskies. In 12 outings, he registered a 6-3 record with a 2.32 ERA and had 75 strikeouts versus 27 walks in 77-plus innings.

"The summer was a major factor for his success this year," Hall said. "I didn't think last year we got what we needed to or should have out of him, and that's our fault.

"When he came back this fall, he was a lot more confident. He fully believes now he belongs here and fully believes he's good."

Based on his performance in the summer and fall, Von Tersch earned a spot in Tech's weekend rotation.

"He was taking the wrong approach last year," Tech pitching coach Tom Kinkelaar said. "He was trying to be too much of a finesse pitcher. He's got a good arm, so it was important that he located and worked off his fastball.

"More than anything, he needed innings to mature. This summer gave him a chance to get back to his roots and be himself. It carried over when he came back."

Besides a fastball in the low 90s, Von Tersch has a curveball mixed in with a slider and a straight change - a pitch Kinkelaar recently added to his arsenal. The key has been throwing strikes, evident by just 13 walks in 39 1/3 innings.

"It helps a lot knowing that I'm able to throw strikes and get ahead of hitters now," said Von Tersch, who was 5-2 with a 0.97 ERA his senior season at Cedar Falls. "I'm just a little more comfortable this year and have more experience."

He was named the ACC pitcher of the week after tossing seven shutout innings in his first collegiate win over Rutgers on March 2. He followed that with a victory over Virginia Tech.

Then, after the Yellow Jackets lost the first two games of their series against No. 4 North Carolina last weekend, Von Tersch pitched seven shutout frames en route to a 4-1 triumph over the Tar Heels, who have played for the national championship in each of the past two seasons.

"He pitched really well in a situation we needed him to have a good outing," Kinkelaar said. "He was a bulldog on Sunday. He took the challenge and went after them."

Von Tersch, who by rule must stay another season before he can begin his professional career, encounters another stiff test this weekend against second-ranked Miami (Fla.).

"He's definitely a pro prospect," Kinkelaar said. "He's a smart kid, works hard and very projectable. Hopefully, he'll have a lot of wins for us before that happens."

And despite his laid-back approach, Kinkelaar believes Von Tersch's makeup inside is his greatest asset.

"He's a real competitor," Kinkelaar said. "He doesn't show it on the outside, but inside the juices are flowing and he wants to win. He demands perfection."

Now, Von Tersch hopes it translates into big things for the Yellow Jackets in the next eight weeks. Tech, which missed out on postseason play last year, has made the College World Series three times in Hall's 14 previous seasons, including a runner-up finish in 1994.

And the opportunity to pitch at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha - nearly 4 hours from Cedar Falls - would be a dream for Von Tersch.

"I went a couple times in high school to watch and it's such a great atmosphere," he said. "It'd be great to have friends and family come and watch the games.

"We're playing for that."

Contact Matt Coss at (319) 291-1468 or matt.coss@wcfcourier.com

Tracking Von Tersch

Date Opponent Decision IP H ER BB SO

Feb. 24 Youngstown State ND 6 4 1 1 5

March 2 Rutgers Win 7 3 0 2 7

March 9 Virginia Tech Win 7 5 1 2 6

March 16 at No. 1 Florida State ND 4 9 3 2 2

March 23 Duke Loss 2 3 3 2 0

March 30 at Boston College Win 6 5 2 3 3

April 6 at No. 4 North Carolina Win 7 4 0 1 5

Season 4-1 39.1 33 10 13 28 (2.29 ERA)