Micah Ottenbreit
BY BRIAN RZEPPA
At the Major League Baseball level, Cincinnati Reds left-hander Johnny Vander Meer wrote his name in the history books in 1938 as the first (and only) pitcher to ever throw back-to-back no-hitters in consecutive starts.
To this day, no team has ever thrown back-to-back no-hitters in consecutive games at the major league level. At the high school level however, the Trenton Trojans were able to do just that in the games against Erie Mason and Wyandotte Roosevelt.
Squaring off with Erie Mason on April 17, the Trojans locked down their opponent’s bats with Caiden Robinette leading the way in a 15-3 victory. The three runs in a no-hitter is an anomaly all its own, but the managed to one-up themselves with their next game against Roosevelt.
With Micah Ottenbreit on the mound, it was clear that the right-hander was locked in early. As a third of the game rolled by, Ottenbreit began to realize the potential that was at hand.
“I first knew there was a chance at a no-hitter when I came into the dugout after the fourth inning,” Ottenbreit said.
In perhaps his best game of the season to this point, Ottenbreit was on a roll. He had tallied 14 strikeouts in eight innings, but unfortunately the game remained tied at zero as things progressed into the ninth inning.
It was at this point where Head Coach Todd Szalka was faced with a difficult decision: try to preserve the no-hitter on the back of a pitcher who is dealing or take him out to prevent any heightened risk to his arm. Szalka, with years of scientific data backing him up, opted to bring in Ricky Kidd as a reliever.
“It’s always tough to pull a pitcher during a no-hitter, but we are early in the season, so player safety is at the forefront of the decision-making process. The state also limits players to 105 pitches/game with resting protocols pertaining to pitching thresholds. It’s even more imperative that players work in the off-season to make sure they are able to handle the stress pitching puts on the body,” Szalka said.
“USA Baseball has done an excellent job of working to protect arms from youth baseball on up. Our pitchers typically pitch once a week with the possibility of throwing an inning or two after their rest period, between starts.”
Ottenbreit, while as a competitor he would’ve enjoyed the opportunity to continue pitching, had faith in the rest of the pitching staff to keep things locked down.
“Our pitching staff is very strong and we have a very solid 1-2 punch and a strong lefty in there as well,” said Ottenbreit.
Kidd didn’t let anyone down, pitching three additional innings of hitless baseball with four strikeouts to close out a remarkable 11-inning no-hitter.
“Honestly, I did not feel any pressure at all coming into the game. I have been in similar situations multiple times throughout my career and I have trained myself to never get caught up in the moment or let the moment get to big for me. Whenever I enter a game, I treat it as the first pitch of the first inning independent of the situation,” Kidd said.
Though Kidd didn’t feel it, there is always increased pressure in these types of settings, but Szalka felt the team was calm and confident throughout each of the no-hitters.
“Quite honestly, the team was so locked into the game, I don’t think it crossed any one’s mind that we had a chance for back-to-back no-hitters,” said Szalka. “Not too many people can say they were ever a part of an 11-inning no-hitter. It was gut wrenching at times, but our guys were prepared.
“Although we didn’t take advantage of early chances to score, we knew opportunities would present themselves later in the game. There was a high degree of confidence in our dugout because we knew our preparation was sound. It’s an unwritten rule in baseball that you don’t talk about a no-hitter while it’s happening, so our focus was on each play.”
Much like with any no-hitter, there seems to be a few key plays that stand out in the minds of those watching; like Neifi Perez’s diving stop during Justin Verlander’s first no-hitter. Looking back, Szalka identified a few moments that could have swung the balance.
“I have to tip my cap to Wyandotte; they played a great game. They threw one of the top juniors in the state in Donovan Canterberry. He managed to keep our hitters at bay and when we did get a hit or walk, he was able to minimize the damage. We had an opportunity to score in the first inning but stranded our leadoff hitter at third with no outs. In the top of the ninth, we had runners on second and third and missed a suicide squeeze. With two outs and a runner on second, we got a base hit from Conner Temple to leftfield.
“Nothnagel from Wyandotte fielded the ball and threw a strike to home plate to cut down our runner and preserve the 0-0 score. It was a great play under normal conditions, but an outstanding play due to the ball being wet. Ultimately, we had some great at-bats in the 11th, and with two outs, Matt Cheetam scored the first run of the game on a passed ball. Wyandotte walked home the second run. We scored three more runs on a missed pop fly in the infield because of the hustle of our baserunners.
“All in all, it was the best game I have ever been a part of. Ottenbreit and Kidd combined to strikeout 18 Wyandotte batters. Anytime you get a performance like that, you have a chance to win. I’m very proud of the resiliency our team showed, and we are looking forward to the challenges ahead!”
Those challenges mentioned by Szalka include the teams in front of them on the schedule, but Kidd is setting his sights higher than a no-hitter.
“This is my second no-hitter in high school. I also threw a no-hitter with my travel team, the Michigan Wildcats. In each of my previous no-hitters I have been a walk and an error away from a perfect game, so my goal for the remainder of my senior year is to throw a perfect game while wearing the double T’s.”
The Trojans are likely to give up a hit at some point within their season, but this string of no-hitters could be a boost that proves pivotal as the team eyes another deep playoff run.