Pitchers achieved baseball rarity

Most players go their entire careers without throwing a no-hitter.
The San Diego Padres, have gone more than 47 years without a player throwing a no-hitter.
Prior to this season, the last no-hitter in Jay County High School baseball history was in 2013, during which then-junior Kyle Selvey no-hit the Winchester Golden Falcons for his father’s —coach Lea — 400th career victory.
Since then, 16 no-hitters were thrown in Major League Baseball, most recently from Chicago Cubs hurler Jake Arrieta on April 21 against the Cincinnati Reds.
Friday following Arrieta’s feat, Jay County junior Jake Myers no-hit the Woodlan Warriors at home in a 4-0 victory.
“My pitches were just on,” Myers said after practice Wednesday. “Everything was working the whole night.”
Myers needed only 78 pitches to carve through the Warrior lineup.
He struck out six and walked three, the first coming in the third inning to end his bid at a perfect game.
Impressive as it is to be historic by achieving such a rare accomplishment, little did Myers know he would have company the next morning.
That’s when Wyatt Geesaman, a freshman making just his second career start, matched Myers by tossing a no-hitter of his own in a 14-1 victory over Winchester.
“It was a fun experience,” Geesaman said. “Try to go out and throw strikes.”
He almost lost the no-hitter.
Winchester’s Aaron Wallace hit a slow dribbler toward second base, and JCHS sophomore second baseman Holton Hill charged the ball. In a hurried attempt to make a play, he dropped the ball before making a throw to first, allowing Wallace to reach first base.
Selvey ruled the play an error, while the Golden Falcons gave themselves a hit. The JCHS skipper later conferred with the home plate umpire, who said the play should be ruled an error.
After that, Geesaman didn’t think too much about the no-hitter. He just thought about how he had to continue to throw strikes. Like Myers the night before, he walked three batters, the final one during the fifth inning who eventually came around to score.
But as the fifth inning approached and the Patriots — they travel to Adams Central at 5 p.m. tonight — were close to a run-rule victory, the thought of a possible no-hitter was in the back of his mind.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Geesaman’s 64th and final pitch resulted in the strikeout of Glenallen Anderson to secure the no-hitter. It was his sixth punch-out of the game.
The youngster was overcome with joy.
“I was like, ‘It happened. I just threw a no-hitter. This is pretty cool,’” he said.
It was 1,099 days between Selvey’s no-hitter in 2013 and Myers’ on Friday. It was less than 16 hours until the next one.
“It was neat,” Lea Selvey said. “(Geesaman) went out and did what he was supposed to do. It was really exciting for the kids.”
Fresh off the most memorable moment of his baseball career, Myers was excited for his young teammate to accomplish the same feat.
“You always hope for your teammates to do the best they can,” he said. “For that to happen, it was awesome to be a part of.”
Myers is the Patriots’ ace, having led the team last year in strikeouts (48) and ERA (2.91). His stellar performance on the mound is nothing new, it’s almost expected from him each time he puts his toes on the rubber.
This season, although he’s been battling a shoulder issue, he has a team-best 1.27 ERA to go with 12 strikeouts and two hits allowed in 11 innings.
Geesaman, however, is just breaking the surface of his pitching abilities.
He is currently leading the team with 11 2/3 innings pitched and 13 strikeouts. He has appeared in three games, started two, and is 3-0 as the only player on the team with more than one win.
If Geesaman managed to throw a no-hitter in just his second career start, imagine what he’ll do as a sophomore, or as a junior, or as a senior.
“He’s just learning to pitch,” Selvey said. “I think that kid can be pretty daggone good when it’s all said and done.
“Right now I’d throw him against about anybody.”
Jay County went two full seasons without throwing a no-hitter. Then it had two in consecutive games. What’s to say there won’t be another one tonight? Or Saturday? Or in another 1,000-plus days?
Then the question becomes, who will be the one to throw it?
Will Geesaman or Myers get a second feather in their cap? Will it be another one of the impressive players from the freshman and sophomore classes? Could it be someone currently attending classes at East Jay or West Jay? How about Pennville Elementary?
That’s the beauty with baseball. A no-hitter can come at any time. From anyone, whether expected or not.
It’s just a matter of who has the right stuff at the right time.
Three years ago it was Kyle Selvey.
Friday it was Jake Myers. The next day it was Wyatt Geesaman.
Who’s next?