Governor Livingston High School (NJ) middle infielder Zach Geertsma committed to Virginia four days short of a year ago. A lot has changed since then. The biggest development was that Coach Brian O’Connor and his staff left Charlottesville for Mississippi State earlier this summer. 

With a coaching change at both UVA and State, recruits have had to consider their options. New coaches want their players and some times others get lost in the shuffle. That was not the case for Geertsma who had the chance to remain a Cavalier or join the Diamond Dawgs. It proved to be a difficult decision, but his relationship with the State staff proved to be the difference.

“First things first,” Geertsma said. “Coach O’Connor brought the coaching staff from UVA to Mississippi State. I was hesitant at first. I wanted to give Coach (Chris) Pollard a chance. I wanted to meet up with all of the new coaches at Virginia and give them a chance.

“At the end of the day, I visited Mississippi State and I really liked it. I just decided that I wanted to follow Coach O’Connor, Coach Mac (Kevin McMullan) and Coach (Matt) Kirby. Hopefully, they can develop me into a rising star.”

Geertsma’s second commitment is to the same staff he committed to last summer. The bond he has been able to forge with the current Mississippi State group of coaches has been difficult to break. The decision is not about now, but about a long term future.

“The number don’t lie,” Geertsma said. “You see all of the people getting drafted from under Coach O’Connor. I believe it’s called the Coach O’Connor effect. That was a big reason, I would say.”

Mississippi State wants to be strong up the middle. Geertsma plays shortstop on the prep level, but is capable and willing of helping with either of the middle infield spots. He simply wants to help the team win.

“They said that they would like to see me stay in the middle of the field,” Geertsma explained. “Hopefully, I keep working hard then I can stay in the middle. That would be great.”

Earlier this month. Geertsma was able to participate in the East Coast Pro showcase. Since he was already in the south, he and the family worked in a visit to Starkville to learn more about his options at Mississippi State.

“I visited the day after the East Coast Pro,” Geertsma said. “I knew it was going to be awesome. I knew the facilities were going to be amazing. When I first got there, it was better than I was expecting. When you get the chance to see what it’s truly like, it’s a completely different experience than just seeing pictures online. The facilities they have are just unreal. I have not seen anything else like that.”

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Geertsma hails from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, a township just across the state line from New York. In fact, Geertsma’s home base is just over twenty-six miles from the Big Apple. Starkville is a much different place than he is used to.

“The main thing I looked at when I was down there was the campus,” Geertsma said. “It was definitely beautiful. I am used to a lot more crowdedness. I know people in all of the cities that I go to, but it’s busy in a lot of those places. When I was in Mississippi, things were a little more spaced out. There is a lot of open land. It is definitely a different experience.”

No one in college administration contacted Geertsma to seek his counsel when it came to making coaching changes even though he was impacted by those decisions. In the end, he simply had to do what he felt was best for himself and his own future. He is happy that process is now over.

“It is definitely a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Geertsma explained. “Making this decision was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but there were only pros on both sides. There was really no negatives for me no matter which way I decided to go. I was very, very lucky to be put in a situation where everything would have been fine for me.

“When it came to Mississippi State, I just felt it in my gut more. It’s definitely a relieving feeling getting this over my shoulders now. I am happy with my decision.”