Gophers pitcher George Klassen is a work in progress — with a 100-mph fastball

George Klassen built his reputation on the strength of his right arm. As a teen, he could throw a baseball so hard that high school catchers couldn't handle it, attracting major league scouts with a fastball that reached 95 miles per hour.

But when that arm was idled because of a torn ligament, a different body part took over. Just as his Gophers career was about to start, Klassen underwent Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, knocking him off the mound and into the training room for the entire 2021 season. The young pitcher approached his rehabilitation with a stout heart, determined to return to the lineup as a stronger, better conditioned athlete.

"George went through a lot of adversity,'' Gophers coach John Anderson said. "But he showed up every day and worked really hard. And he's done it all with a smile on his face.''

This season, Klassen has rejoined the Gophers' starting rotation, learning how to become a more complete pitcher. The fastball is back, topping out now at 102 mph. Still, after sitting out his freshman year and pitching only 7 ⅔ innings last spring, he remains a raw talent in the early stages of his development.

Klassen has a 1-5 record in eight starts this season, with an ERA of 5.35. Opponents are batting .205 against him, lowest among Gophers starters, and he ranks third on the team with 32 strikeouts. He is eligible for this summer's MLB draft, which begins July 9, and currently ranks No. 54 on MLB.com's list of prospects.

Gophers pitching coach Ty McDevitt said Klassen "is still getting his feet wet'' in college competition. The redshirt sophomore has had inconsistent control, issuing a staff-high 27 walks in 33 ⅔ innings.

"He's one of the most underdeveloped prospects we've had,'' McDevitt said. "But he's a freak athlete and a world-class competitor. And he has as quick or quicker of an arm than guys like [former Gophers] Max Meyer and Lucas Gilbreath, guys in the big leagues right now. There's a lot of impressive stuff there.''

That includes Klassen's fortitude. During his post-surgery layoff, he refined his diet, added muscle and kept the faith, finding ways to keep moving forward in a disheartening situation.

"People told me, from the time you tear [the ligament] until you have the surgery, you can hate the world,'' Klassen said. "Once surgery is done, just put your head down and keep going.

"I worked every day to get back to where I was before, and better. Now that I'm back, I want to keep going, keep learning and getting better every day.''

A native of Port Washington, Wis., Klassen pitched only a handful of high school games, as catchers were overpowered by a fastball that regularly hit 90 to 92 mph by his senior year. He became one of the top recruits in the country while playing with summer travel teams. Klassen chose the Gophers because of the coaches and family ties to the university, and Anderson said his arm is one of the quickest the program has ever had.

Just a week before his freshman season was about to begin, Klassen threw a pitch in an intrasquad game and felt a pop in his elbow. McDevitt wasn't surprised, given the imbalance between Klassen's forceful delivery and lanky frame.

"With the quickness of that arm and that skinny body, it was like shooting a cannon out of a canoe,'' McDevitt said. "At some point, something was going to break down, and it did. But it forced him to get into the weight room and produce a body that could handle an engine like he has.''

Klassen eased back carefully last year, following his brief Gophers season with a summer of Northwoods League ball. In addition to gaining weight and strength, he has become more efficient in his motion. He supplements the fastball with a "slurve" and is working on a changeup.

His best performance this season came last month, when he pitched 7 ⅔ innings against Houston. Klassen was named Big Ten pitcher of the week after striking out a career-high eight batters while allowing one hit in the longest outing of his college career. The Gophers will continue to manage his workload while getting him enough innings to keep him progressing.

With so much to learn — and more physical maturation to come — Anderson isn't rushing him. "This has been a big jump for George, and he's been through a lot,'' the coach said. "But he's handled it incredibly well. He's going to be a really special pitcher.''

His right arm may get all the attention, but Klassen's heart will lead the way.

"It's awesome to finally have an actual season with these guys, to throw for them and try to win games,'' he said. "I'm just going to keep working, keep trying to improve, and see where it takes me.''

• Due to rain and cold temperatures in the forecast, Wednesday's game against St. Thomas at Siebert Field was cancelled because of rain and cold temperatures. The two teams are still scheduled to play next Wednesday at Siebert Field.