Rock Island Today

Zach Erdman spends a lot of his time working angles.

Erdman, a right-handed sophomore starting pitcher at Black Hawk College, can bring his pitches from three different arm angles and likes to go with whichever is working best that particular day. Bringing different looks to the pitching delivery is not something hitters like, Erdman figured out, and he has been experimenting with varying deliveries since he was a junior in high school.

“I just kept working with it, started sticking with it and I've had some good success,” he told Rock Island Today.

Indeed, Erdman has shined for the Braves this season, earning high statistical rankings among pitchers in Division II of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Through April 22's action, Erdman was No. 1 in Division II in shutouts with two, second in complete games with four and 19th in earned-run average at 1.95, according to njcaa.org.

In his first six appearances this season for Black Hawk, which included five starts, Erdman was 5-1 with 32 strikeouts in 37 innings of work.

Last season, his first at Black Hawk, Erdman went 3-3 with a 4.62 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 37 innings. 

Erdman spent much of last summer pitching for the Vail (Colorado) Vipers, a team in the Mountain West Summer College Baseball league. He said that experience helped him improve this season, working on his focus on each pitch and “not just getting lazy on certain pitches.”

“Repetition after repetition; just really concentrating on my game to better myself; starting ahead in the count; starting with that first strike; strike, strike, strike; keeping the ball low to the ground; and just keeping the concentration up,” he said.

Like many athletes, Erdman's first foray into his sport began with family. Erdman watched his brother, Devin, who is three years older than him to the day, play the game and their father, Chuck, also is passionate about the sport and played it in high school. Erdman, who played for St. Laurence High School in Burbank, Illinois, fell in love with the game from there, especially the way all players, from the starting lineup to the bench, have roles to play.

“I just kind of like the factor that it just kind of brings everyone together, win or lose,” he said.

With his eligibility at Black Hawk up after this season ends, Erdman said he is talking to a few schools about continuing his collegiate baseball career.