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The no-hit wonder

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Schuster threw 106 pitches and allowed four base runners while striking out 17.

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 21, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - Mitchell High School left-hander Patrick Schuster cradled the ball in his glove, drew one last deep breath, went into his windup and made a pitch for Florida high school baseball immortality.

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.

It was Schuster's fourth consecutive no-hitter - he broke the state record of three, held by Gonzalez Tate's Ben Webb (1985) and Jefferson High's Sam Militello (1987) - putting him two behind the all-time national prep mark.

"I couldn't have imagined something like this," said Schuster, whose 17-strikeout performance was witnessed by approximately 1,000 fans (some stationed on the top row overhang of the nearby football stadium), two dozen major-league scouts and University of Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan, who already has signed the 6-foot-2, 170-pound prodigy to a college scholarship.

Where Schuster eventually lands? No one knows. If the money and draft selection is right, he might jump to the major leagues. The Rays, Mets, Tigers and Diamondbacks have shown particular interest, Schuster's mother said. But the Florida opportunity is enticing.

"Right now, I'm just rolling with this," Schuster said.

Schuster threw 106 pitches and allowed four base runners: Brennan Allen reached on a dropped third strike, Brandon McSwain walked, Sage Stephens was hit by a pitch and Jorge Jaramillo led off the seventh inning when shortstop Conner Hale mishandled a ground ball.

But Schuster, undaunted, struck out two of the last three batters, including designated hitter Trejon Smith, to end the game.

"Schuster is very, very good," Pasco coach Ricky Giles said. "I told our guys, 'You didn't lose to a slouch.' He has it all. He's one of the best I've seen."

Schuster is scheduled to go for consecutive no-hitter No. 5 next Tuesday in the Class 6A-District 7 tournament at Countryside High School. His story already has become national news, and he appeared Friday in a live interview with ESPN.

Schuster's parents, Roger and Sharon, joined their son for an on-field embrace when the game was done. Sharon Schuster said her son is a normal 18-year-old - one who loves fishing, hunting and golf but needs constant reminders to clean his room - and she was surprised at how easily he has handled the recent attention.

The Mitchell administration declared Monday to be "Patrick Schuster Day" at the school. Anyone wearing a Mitchell T-shirt received free admission to the game. All day long, there was a buzz on campus.

One of Schuster's biggest fans wasn't there, though.

Just before Schuster's 12th birthday in 2002, his older brother, 22-year-old Shane, died after a long bout with cancer. On one of his cleats, Schuster inscribed the numbers "9" and "21" for the date of Shane's death (Sept. 21).

"Shane would've loved to have been here for this," Sharon Schuster said. "Patrick, I think, gets his compassion and passion from Shane. He would've loved to have seen this. But, you know, he did see it."

Some kind of moment.

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353.

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