Mark Pope has long bled red and black, and has shouted "Go Dogs!" more than a few times.

How ironic then that the lanky Walton pitcher will be making his home on The Flats near North Avenue next year, as he takes his 90 mph-plus fastball, wicked slider and knee-wobbling curveball to Georgia Tech.

"I was a Georgia fan for years, but I realize that I have to hate Georgia now," said the Northside pitcher of the year. "I can't wait to go. They should be good for the next four years, and it is one of the best programs in the nation."

The only possible wrench in those plans would be the Atlanta Braves, who drafted him in the 17th round last week. Some would say that the Braves could get a steal in Pope.

Over his career at Walton, the righthander compiled a 21-3 record with more than 200 strikeouts. In his senior season, he was 9-2 with a 0.63 ERA. In the playoffs, he averaged eight strikeouts a game and finished with 98 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings.

That's power. Here's control: Pope walked just 10 batters all year. All of that added up to his winning pitcher of the year honors for a second consecutive season.

"It was all business this season," said Pope, who had secured his scholarship at Georgia Tech before the start of his senior year. "There weren't a lot of relaxing moments this year, especially when you are on a team expected to play for a state title."

Walton, the 2007 state champion, again played for the state title this spring, falling to Brookwood in the finals.

But the road the Raiders took to get there was a lot different from the previous trip. Instead of winning the Region 6-AAAAA title and having home-field advantage through most of the playoffs, these Raiders were road warriors, traveling to Valdosta, St. Mary's and Gwinnett County.

Rather than seeing the trips as difficulties, Pope savored the experience.

"It was a lot of fun," he said. "We liked going to new places and hanging out at the hotels and just being with each other. We'd just go play baseball and then have a lot of fun."

Whatever is next for Pope —- whether it be the blue and gold of Tech or deciding on a professional career —- he knows that having played at Walton and in the east Cobb baseball factory has prepared him for that next step.

"Walton is a really competitive school all the way around," he said. "You had boys soccer winning the state title, and [girls] tennis winning another title, so we felt like we had to keep up. There is no doubt that the best teams in the state are in our area. I am definitely prepared coming out of this environment."