This isn’t a local story, but it’s a good one. A 17-year-old pitching phenom in Florida just threw his fourth straight no-hitter last night, striking out 17 in front of more than 20 professional scouts. Patrick Schuster, a 6-foot-2 lefty, has signed to play at the University of Florida. But pro scouts are already drooling over him, especially over the past couple of weeks in which he has made national headlines for being completely un-hittable. He might skip college and head straight to the pros. It wouldn’t be surprising.
But for now, let him bask in this moment’s glory – and perhaps extend it. He’s two no-hitters away from the national prep record. He already has the Florida state record.
Here’s an excerpt from a Tampa Tribune story:
It was a called strike.
Of course.
With that, after his 5-0 mastery of the Pasco High School Pirates on Monday night, Schuster grinned broadly, raised both arms to the sky in triumph and leapt into the arms of his catcher, Doug Burlett, before everyone was buried in a pile of onrushing teammates.
“Now that,” Mitchell coach Scot Wilcox said, “was some kind of moment.”
And some kind of history.