(Enlarge) Baltimore Polytechnic Institute sophomore Eric Jarkowski, of Guilford, has won two Baltimore City singles championships. (Staff photo by Matt Roth)

Eric Jarkowski knows how to throw a changeup, considering he's a pitcher with the Hampden Rec travel team and hopes to perhaps earn a spot on the Poly varsity next spring.

He also knows what it's like to face a change of speed, only in a different sport -- tennis.

As the two-time defending Baltimore City individual champion for the Engineers, the sophomore from Guilford has no peer among area public school rivals.

Yet, when he steps out of the city to meet tough competition from county foes, it can be a difficult assignment.

That's exactly what happened when Jarkowski was thrust into regional play against Howard County players recently.

Nonetheless, the 16-year-old was able to advance to a regional semifinal, losing to River Hill's Oliver Wei, 6-1, 6-4.

That's a far cry from the city championship match in which Jarkowski swept Poly teammate Joseph Tate, 6-0, 6-0.

The step-up in competition began when Jarkowski topped Centennial's Michael Hsiao, 6-2, in the first set and then rallied past the Eagle, 7-5, in the second set to win the match.

"He was ahead," Jarkowski said. "But I just stopped missing and picked up my intensity."

Then came the loss to Wei, a setback that Jarkowski used as a gauge of his improvement.

"I lost in the first round last year," he said. "I look at it that I have to set goals. It's just hard to get much competition in the city, because I'm way ahead of everybody else."

Jarkowski, who takes lessons from Barry Grube at Cross Keys Tennis Club and Homeland Raquet Club at St. Paul's School, said he has plenty of skills to hone if he hopes to continue to improve.

"I need to develop my all-court game better," he said. "I need to get better on offense and improve my net play."

Grube said that the promising teen first came to him three years ago as "really raw material."

Yet Jarkowski was willing to put in the effort to succeed.

"He's one of the hardest-working kids I've ever had," Grube said. "He loves tennis and works hard at it."

Grube said that Jarkowski's backcourt game -- his ground strokes -- are a strong suit, including a "big, big forehand and a consistent backhand."

Next, he'll need to work on the serve-and-volley aspect of his game.

"To get to the next level, he has to work on his touch-shots and half-volleys," Grube said. "All the good players have that."

As for baseball, Jarkowski is a right-handed hurler who also plays first base for a squad that opened its season May 27.

"It's good for him to play other sports," Grube said. "He plays the piano and guitar, and he's a really good student, too. He's a well-rounded kid."

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