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Wake-Up Call: Can Gaither defy no-hit destiny?

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Austen Thrailkill and the Cowboys must tame Mitchell to keep their season alive.

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 28, 2009

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

The Gaither Cowboys got 12 hits on Monday afternoon when the Class 6A-District 7 baseball tournament began at Countryside High School.

Today's big question: With the crowd potentially swelling to a few thousand fans, a live television audience, cut-in reports from ESPN and Mitchell Mustangs left-handed national phenom Patrick Schuster on the mound, can the Cowboys manage at least one hit?

"Oh, yeah, we'll get one, hopefully a lot more than one," Gaither first baseman Brady North said. "We're not looking to avoid a no-hitter. We're looking to win a game. That's our approach. No negative thoughts."

Good luck with that.

The Cowboys wasted little time in dispatching the St. Petersburg High Green Devils, 10-2, on Monday, but that result was quickly forgotten. It's all about today.

Schuster goes for his fifth consecutive no-hitter – one off the national prep record – when the Mustangs (22-3) face the Cowboys (19-6) in the 6A-7 semifinals at 4 p.m. today.

The back story: Today's winning team advances to regional play and the losing team is done for 2009. Normally, that would be a compelling enough draw for one of the state's most competitive district fields.

But more than anything, today is about history.

Schuster hasn't surrendered a hit since March 24 (a double by Alonso's Ray Delphey). In fact, Schuster has allowed only nine hits all season.

And Gaither has four of them.

"Gaither is a good hitting ballclub, and they have a good approach," Mitchell coach Scot Wilcox said. "Chances are, yeah, somebody will get a hit. I mean, this thing can't last forever."

"But I like our chances any time Patrick goes to the mound. It's nice to head to districts with a pitcher on a roll like this. He has his feet on the ground. He knows what he has to do. He's not going to be rattled by all the attention."

Bright House Sports Network will carry the game live.

ESPN is planning coverage in and around "SportsCenter" – including reports from the network's associate producer Tom Engle, who shares the national record after pitching six consecutive no-hitters in Lancaster, Ohio, during the 1989 season.

"It's great for Mitchell baseball to be getting this kind of exposure," Wilcox said.

The Cowboys see things a little differently.

"Schuster is a really good pitcher, but we've done the best job of hitting him this season," Gaither second baseman Justin Delgado said. "We'd like to get it done as soon as possible, hopefully the first inning. I hope it's me. Let's start with a bang. One of us is going to do it."

Easier said than done.

Schuster, a University of Florida signee whose amateur draft stock has soared, has 60 strikeouts in 26 innings during the no-hit streak. Eight days ago, he beat Pasco High 5-0 and struck out 17, breaking the Florida record for consecutive no-hitters (three, shared by Gonzalez Tate's Ben Webb in 1985 and Jefferson's Sam Militello in 1987).

"Nobody around here has ever seen anything like what Schuster has done," Gaither center fielder Drew Doty said. "He deserves the attention, but we're pretty determined. It's just going to be a pleasure to be part of this game."

"Four straight no-hitters, that's crazy,'' Gaither third baseman Mike Danner said. "Unbelievable. Keeping that going, that's on him. We're just going to play our game. It probably works out better for us because nobody expects us to win and lot of people probably think we won't even get a hit. Hey, we might surprise a few people.''

"This is going to be one long day at school," North said. "We're excited. Let's get this game going."

Raburn back with Tigers

OF Ryan Raburn (Durant) is back with the Detroit Tigers after being recalled from Triple-A Toledo, where he hit five home runs in 12 games. Raburn started in left field Monday night against the New York Yankees.

USF's Carlin tabbed by Big East

University of South Florida sophomore OF Junior Carlin (Riverview) was named Big East Baseball Player of the Week after the Bulls' three-game sweep of West Virginia. Carlin hit .889 (8-for-9) and had a slugging percentage of 1.111.

Another honor for UF's Tucker

For the third time this season, University of Florida first baseman Preston Tucker (Plant) was named SEC Baseball Freshman of the Week. Tucker batted .462 (6-for-13) during the week. He leads UF in home runs (nine), RBIs (57) and slugging percentage (.594).

Sandelin defeated in match play

Tampa's Lucy Sandelin, seeded No. 1 after qualifying, was defeated in the second round of match play on Monday night during the United States Bowling Congress Senior Queens at Reno, Nev. In the second round, Janine Primrose had a three-game 724 total, while Sandelin rolled a 631. Sandelin, who won the 2007 Senior Queens in her event debut, was the top qualifier with a tournament-record 15-game total of 3,147. The event is for women ages 50 and older.

Father-son tandem for Bucs?

Former Notre Dame LB Maurice Crum Jr. (Tampa Bay Tech) has been invited to try out for the Bucs and could be offered a free-agent contract. His father, Maurice Sr., who played at Hillsborough, signed a free-agent contract with the Bucs in 1991, spending that season on Tampa Bay's practice squad.

The elder Crum, a first-team All-American linebacker at the University of Miami, played in the World Football League (Orlando Thunder), Canadian Football League (Saskatchewan Rough Riders) and Arena Football League (Orlando Predators).

The younger Crum was a four-year starter with the Fighting Irish. He became the 17th player in Notre Dame history to be chosen a two-time team captain. His 306 career tackles rank eighth all-time at Notre Dame, and his 48 career starts are tied for most in school history.

Stunt cyclist performs in Clearwater

Mountain-bike stunt cyclist Jeff Lenosky, a world-record holder and national champion, will perform this weekend during the grand reopening of Outspokin Bicycles, which has moved to a new location at 2241 Gulf to Bay Blvd., Clearwater (State Road 60 at Gulf to Bay Plaza).

Lenosky performs his high-flying stunts at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Giant Bicycle support and team staff is on-site all day. Group rides and clinics will be held throughout the day, beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Turner hits the links

Former Chamberlain High School football coach Billy Turner, who retired last month after a half-century on the sideline, shot his age in golf last week. Well, technically, it was less than his age. Turner, 71, fired a 2-under-par 70 at Babe Zaharias Golf Course (even on the front side, 2-under on the back). Last year, when Turner was 70, he had a 69 at Rocky Point Golf Course.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to Rays OF Fernando Perez, who is recuperating from a wrist injury he suffered in spring training. Perez, who holds a degree in American studies (with an emphasis in creative writing) from Columbia University, is writing a blog for the New York Times.

Here's an excerpt from his latest entry:

With about 10 percent of the season gone, there's plenty to say, but it's like the beginning of a big bike race, merely picturesque. It's exciting, but it isn't really telling. Big ERAs will get smaller; small ones will normalize in broken bat singles, chance gale winds and the flu. Sinkerballers are just warming up, and winterballers who play year-round are thrilled to see real chips on the table again.

Today, Perez turns 26.

The Answer Man

Here's the answer to Monday's trivia question:

DE Kyle Moore, Tampa Bay's fourth-round selection, was the ninth all-time Southern Cal player drafted by the Bucs. The other eight: RB Ricky Bell (first round, 1977); LB David Lewis (second round, 1977); OT Kelly Thomas (fourth round, 1983); LB Keith Browner (second round, 1984); QB Pat O'Hara (10th round, 1991); RB Mazio Royster (11th round, 1992); CB Brian Kelly (second round, 1998); and SS David Gibson (sixth round, 2000).

Tuesday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

Kansas State University, which produced Bucs first-round pick Josh Freeman, has had two quarterbacks finish in the top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting. Can you name them?

Check for the answer in Wednesday's Wake-Up Call.

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