TAMPA- In the second inning of last Friday's conference opener against Notre Dame, USF baseball radio personality Jim Lighthall stated that it was going to be a special night for Bulls' ace Randy Fontanez and over the course of the next seven innings the 2010 BIG EAST preseason Pitcher of the year proved Lighthall right.
| Fontanez's Final Line |
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
ER
|
BB
|
SO
|
AB
|
BF
|
NP
|
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
12
|
27
|
31
|
119
|
|
|
Over the next seven innings, Fontanez would make his 0-4 start seem like a distant memory as the Oviedo native dazzled en route to his first win of the season.
Fontanez's Pitch Chart | The Game Box
It was the first USF no hitter in 18 seasons and the first 9-inning no-hitter in Division I baseball this season.
Now 1-4 on the season, Fontanez owns a 3.38 ERA with opposing batters hitting just .217 and lefties hitting .187.
Spotlight on Fontanez
- BullsVision Audio: The Radio Call of the Final Out From Voice of USF Baseball Joel Godett History
- BullsVision Video: Fontanez's Post Game Interview
- BullsVision Video: The Final out of the No-Hitter
- BullsVision Exclsuive: Pitching Coach Lazer Collazo Talks Fontanez's No-Hitter
- Diamond Insights on College Baseball 360: Randy Fontanez Podcast Interview
- Twitter: @BaseballAmerica: College Blog: Friday Highlights: USF's Fontanez Throw No-Hitter: Showdown of the day: http://bit.ly/ca6rd7
- Twitter: @stew_33: Randy Fontanez was lights out tonight. 12 Ks, 0 hits, 9 innings. I will remember this game forever.
- Twitter: @aaronfitt: Let's go ahead and name the pitcher of the day: South Florida Jr. RHP Randy Fontanez struck out 12 in a no-hitter vs. Notre Dame.
| Pitch Count Inning by Inning |
|
Inning
|
Strikes
|
Balls
|
Total
|
|
|
10
|
9
|
19
|
|
|
8
|
1
|
9
|
|
|
6
|
4
|
10
|
|
|
12
|
6
|
19
|
|
|
6
|
3
|
9
|
|
|
9
|
2
|
11
|
|
|
9
|
3
|
12
|
|
|
8
|
2
|
10
|
|
|
13
|
8
|
21
|
|
Totals
|
80
|
39
|
119
|
|
Inside the Scoresheet
- Fontanez faced just four batters over the minimium
- Fontanez did not allow a runner to reach second base until there was one out in the top of the ninth
- Of the 31 batters faced, Fontanez threw 17 first pitch strikes.
- Fontanez only reached a three ball count three times.
- Fontanez threw 12 or less pitchs in six of the nine innings. He tallied nine pitch innings in the second and fifth frames.
- Fontanez sat down the Irish in sequence six times on the night, including four straight innings from the fifth through the eighth
- Of Fontanez's career high 12 strikeouts on the night, six were looking
- Of his 119 pitches, 80 were strikes.
- Notre Dame outfielder Ryan Connolly was the only Notre Dame batter that reached base multiple times and was the Irish's only baserunner until the 9th.
- Left fielder Junior Carlin did not have a ball hit to him all night.
Preserving the No-No with a Little Luck
What makes historic events, like Fontanez's no-hitter even more memorable, are the moments when the stars align and the entire crowd knows they are on the verge of a record-breaking performance.
| Out Break Down |
|
Ground Outs
|
Fly outs
|
Strikeouts
|
Outs
|
|
10
|
5
|
12
|
27
|
|
On this night, that moment would come with two down in the top of the eighth. Irish batter Cameron McConnell ripped a one-hopper off of the shoulder of USF third baseman Daniel Rockhold. The ball caromed to shortstop Jonathan Koscso, who fielded the ball and fired to first to retire McConnell and keep the hitless effort intact.
The play was scored 5-6-3 with the assist to Rockhold's shoulder.
No-No's in Bulls History
Fontanez was the third in USF history and the first for the Bulls (9-13, 1-0 BIG EAST) since Mark Reed threw a perfect game 18 years ago (March 1992) against Charlotte.Steve Ruling threw the first no-hitter in USF history in 1974 against Connectcut. It is the was the first BIG EAST no-hitter since Scott Barnes of St. John's reached the feat against Georgetown on April 20, 2007. Fontanez's no-hitter is the sixth nine-inning no-hitter in BIG EAST history. The no-hitter marks the first of USF pitching coach Lazer Collazo's coaching career.
Randy Rak'n Up the Weekly Awards
Just one week after senior Teddy Kaufman virtually swept the weekly awards after his complete game shutout of UCF, Fontanez's no-hitter brought similar recognition. In all, the Bulls claimed both BIG EAST awards, as Jonathan Koscso picked up BIG EAST Player of the week honors, while Fontanez grabbed the mound version of the weekly awards. Additionally, Fontanez picked up five awards on the national scene (listed to the right).
Looking for No. 2
Fontanez will look for his second win of the season when he takes the mound for the Bulls on Thursday night at Marge Schott Stadium against the Cincinnati Bearcats.Cincinnati will send junior RHP Nick Johnson to the mound. In two career starts against Cincinnati, Fontanez is 1-1, including a complete game in 2009 agaist UC, where he allowed two runs while scattering six hits while striking out seven at Red McEwen Field.
