Mitchell (FL) High School senior Patrick Schuster, who had not given up a hit since March 24, a streak of four straight starts, finally let an opposing hitter get the best of his lengthy left arm.
Per
Tampa Bay Online, Schuster gave up a double in the top of the third inning during today's Florida Class 6A-District 7 baseball semifinal, which also ended the Mitchell High Mustangs season after a winning streak of 10 games with a 9-4 loss to Gaither High School.
After gaining national attention (see
New York Times) for retiring every batter faced over 28 1/3 innings during the last five games, Schuster will continue his baseball career at the University of Florida, but not before throwing out the first pitch at Tropicana Field before the Tampa Bay Rays May 3 game, per
tampabay.com.
The all-time high school record for consecutive no-hitters, six, is held by Tom Engle, who is now a producer at ESPN. Perhaps that's the reason ESPNews carried a pitch-by-pitch account of Schuster's attempt to inch one game closer to history, according to the
Lancaster Eagle Gazette.
ESPNews producer and current record holder, Engle, also kept a running log via Twitter on Schuster's performance:
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ESPNEWS (Bristol, CT) TEngle Prod: Schuster warming up. Looks very focused.1000 people here. media outlets represented. Several MLB scouts in the stands. 28 Apr 2009 from web -
ESPNEWS Producer: Patrick Schuster is taking the mound! Here we go! 28 Apr 2009 from web -
ESPNEWS Producer: Schuster no-hitter broken up in the 3rd! 28 Apr 2009 from web -
ESPNEWS Tom Engel, Prod: After no-no breakup. He seemed to be relieved. Looked as if he could relax and pitch his game after giving up the hit. 28 Apr 2009 from web
Other Twitterers, most near Tampa, expressed their excitement for Schuster's quest:
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MattRothwell Watching Patrick Schuster on ESPN, must be weird having a high school game on television. 28 Apr 2009 from TwitterFon -
BrendanNews (Tampa, FL) No-hitter spree for young Patrick Schuster is over. Four in a row aint bad, though. 28 Apr 2009 from web -
weslinton (California) Just watched Patrick Schuster hit a batter in the face. He left the field with a bloody nose. The next batter hit a double. 28 Apr 2009 from web -
MichaelEmdeyar (Tierra Verde, FL) No no-hitter for Patrick Schuster. It was an unbelievable run. Throws out first pitch at the Trop on Sunday. 28 Apr 2009 from web -
RoxanneWilder (Tampa, FL) All good things must come to an end. Patrick Schuster gives up a double in the third to end his stellar streak.Tonight on Sports Connection 28 Apr 2009 from web
SunSports, a Fox owned and managed regional sports network, posted a TwitPic of Schuster during his pre-game warmups:
"Home-grown high school SR #10. Patrick Schuster looks to get 5th no hitter" (Posted by @
SunSportsFOXFL on April 28, 2009)
Prep star Schuster loses no-hit streak at 4
