Zach Jackson wasn't looking to set the minor league baseball world on fire - it just worked out that way.

Jackson, a 2001 Seneca Valley graduate, opened the season in Dunedin, Fla., home of the Toronto Blue Jays' Class A affiliate.

By early September, he had climbed all the way to Class AAA Syracuse, earning eight starts and opening some eyes along the way.

"It was unbelievable," said Jackson, 22. "My realistic goal was to make it to Double A and do what I could do and see what happens.

"You can't control how quick they move you up. You can't control what goes on between the lines. It just worked out great," he added.

Jackson was 4-4 with a 5.13 ERA and had 33 strikeouts and 21 walks.

"I'm assuming since I made it there and got a fair amount of starts, I guess I'll be back there next year," said Jackson. "But you never know."

In Dunedin, Jackson went 8-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 10 games with 48 strikeouts and only six walks.

Upon being promoted to Class AA New Hampshire May 28, he went 4-3 with a 4.00 ERA and 43 strikeouts and 12 walks.

He was called up to the SkyChiefs on July 26 and finished the season in Syracuse.

All told, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Jackson went 16-8 in 27 games, recorded 124 strikeouts and walked 39.

When his season ended in Syracuse, he went back to Dunedin for the Blue Jays' Fall Instructional League.

"It's 3½ weeks and it's nothing too bad. I really benefited, working on and smoothing out some stuff," said Jackson.

Jackson finished this season with 160

innings, almost 50 innings more than he threw last spring as a junior on the Texas A&M University staff.

"That's definitely the most innings I've thrown, consecutively," said Jackson. "I'm really fortunate, really blessed. I didn't miss any of my starts.

"I stayed healthy. That was one of my goals, to stay off the disabled list. I was able to avoid that. I made it through my first full season. That one seems the longest, but it didn't seem as long."

While at New Hampshire, the coaches wanted Jackson to work primarily with the fastball and changeup, just two of the five pitches in his repertoire.

"I tried my best. I wanted to stick to the game plan," said Jackson. "It is what you make of it. You have to trust your stuff. You really can't change your mentality."

When he reached Syracuse, Jackson got off to a 1-3 start before asserting himself and finished a much stronger pitcher.

"Once I got to Triple A, I gave the hitter too much credit and I walked more than I did before," said Jackson.

"It was a learning experience there. I'm grateful to get a feel for it."