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No-hitter in Elk River pitcher Overton's first start and big hit, too

By Star Tribune, 04/23/15, 1:47PM CDT

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In a 10-0 victory April 13 at Irondale, Overton struck out 10 batters, walked two and allowed no hits.

A no-hitter in his first varsity pitching start by Elk River junior A.J. Overton recalled stellar debuts on the mound by long-ago major leaguer Juan Marichal and current pro Stephen Strasburg.

In a 10-0 victory April 13 at Irondale, Overton struck out 10 batters, walked two and allowed no hits while going all seven innings. Marichal’s one-hitter in 1960 featured 12 strikeouts and a walk. Fifty years later, Strasburg fanned 14 in seven innings.

Marichal and Strasburg, both pitching for National League teams, were a combined 0-for-5 from the plate. Overton, meanwhile, clubbed a three-run homer — his first hit of the season.

Overton, the first Elk to toss a no-hitter since Pete Hilyar in 1974, spoke to Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque about an already legendary day at the ballpark.

 

Q: Were you feeling like the Irondale game would be something special or did you surprise yourself?

A: It was my first varsity start, so obviously I had some nerves. But my whole mind-set was to keep the ball low and do the best that I possibly can for my team to get a win. I was a little anxious for the first few pitches, and then I settled down and got into a groove.

 

Q: How long have you been pitching?

A: I started pitching when I was about 13 years old. Last year I actually won JV pitcher of the year. I came into varsity and got the No. 3 starting job. When I’m on my game, I’m spotting my fastball, keeping it low and at the knees. My curveball and changeup are definitely my out pitches. I really worked on my changeup this offseason.

 

Q: What did you do in terms of preparation for this season?

A: I played with my fall ballclub team PHD in the offseason. It stands for pitching, hitting and defense. We played in a bunch of tournaments around the country. We ended in November and I let my arm rest until February. That’s when I started playing long-toss again and throwing bullpen sessions.

 

Q: How much did the wind play a factor at Irondale?

A: It was real windy, like 30 miles-per-hour gusts. But it actually kind of helped me because it was blowing from right to left and that’s the way my curveball breaks. That was my out pitch that game.

 

Q: Did your teammates follow baseball tradition and avoid you in the dugout?

A: Well, I’m a pretty talkative person, so I wouldn’t really want to sit by myself. I was definitely interacting with the guys. No one really brought up the no-hitter until the sixth inning. One of my teammates, Mitch Thompson, brought it up and everyone in the dugout freaked out at him. We made him go knock on my wood bat. I told him, “If this gets messed up, it’s all your fault.” He said, “Yeah, I know. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

 

Q: How did you get the final out and how did you celebrate it?

A: We could’ve gotten it on their No. 5 hitter but the baserunner broke up a double play. I thought it was game over but I had to buckle down and go get the next guy. The last out was a line drive to first base. Afterward, me and my catcher, Brennan Beese, hugged it out and everyone else congratulated me.

 

Q: Have you given any thought to just how special of a game that was for you?

A: I wasn’t the first one to notice that the home run was my first hit of the season. One of my teammates told me on the bus ride home. I thought about it and said, “Wow. That’s definitely cool.”

 

Q: Of course, now you have to follow it up, right?

A: Yeah. Perfect game next start, hopefully.

DAVID LA VAQUE

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