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| Photo Credit: College Baseball Today |
Move over Johnny Vander Meer, you have company.
Matt Crohan, a senior at Riverhead High School began the season by tossing a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts against one of the top offenses in Suffolk County; East Islip.
Most pitchers would’ve been satisfied with that outcome, but Crohan is not like most pitchers. The Jamesport native raised the bar with today’s performance in which he no-hit League-IV rival Centereach and added 18 strikeouts. That feat has only been accomplished in the Major Leagues once and it was in 1938 by Vander Meer.
For those keeping score at home, that is 14 hitless innings with 33 strikeouts to begin his season year. In order words, he has already put himself in contention for the coveted Carl Yastrzemski Award which is given annually to the best player in Suffolk County.
Crohan, who is committed to play Division-I baseball at Winthrop University in South Carolina has been regularly hitting 88-92 MPH on the gun. If he continues to put up mind-boggling numbers, however, he will most likely never appear on a college campus.
He has been on the radar of big league scouts since participating in the Area Code games in California this summer. It was then he decided to work with Russ Tavares of Infiniti Performance in Bellport.
“That really got my game to another level in all aspects,” said Crohan. “Also I began going to pitching lessons with TJ Derosa which really helped changed my mechanics and got them the way they needed to be.”
Crohan will attempt to pitch his third consecutive next week at Copiague High School. It should be noted that Copiague is a much inferior opponent.
“I can’t think about that, just have to throw strikes and if it’s meant to be it will happen,” he said in regards to attempting to record 21 outs without allowing a hit.
The national record of consecutive no-hitters is six which would mean virtually an entire season of hitless baseball in the 18-game Suffolk regular season.
Riverhead has began the season at 2-2 in the recently realigned League-IV which features perennial playoff team Half Hollow Hills West and East Islip as well as Centereach, Copiague, North Babylon and Newfield.
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