Commentary by Jeff Johncox
The Norman Transcript
NORMAN — It was hot, humid and the bugs were flocking to the lighted field at Tiger Stadium on Wednesday night.
No one seemed to notice any of it by the sixth inning, though. Everyone was watching Jay pitcher Cale Shambaugh pitch a gem.
“He’s still humming it in there,” I said to Norman High assistant coach Justin Carroll.
“Yeah,” he said, with a laugh. “He’s got some speed.”
Another pitch rocketed in with a “pop!” that brought ooos and ahhs from the fans, host families and, yes, even coaches and newspaper men. It also brought a called strike three from the home-plate umpire.
“He’s from Jay,” someone said.
“I don’t even know where that is,” I ignorantly replied.
Well, I do now.
After talking with Shambaugh throughout the Heartland Classic, I’ve learned where Jay is, how big it is and how proud he is to be from there.
Shambaugh dominated Arkansas that night.
He struck out 15 and didn’t allow a hit. It was the first no-hitter in the Sunbelt/Heartland Classic since Team Texas’ Josh Ramos threw one in 1999 against Ohio. But that one only went five innings. Shambaugh pitched the first true no-hitter in the tournament since fellow Oklahoman Matt Roney beat California in 1998.
He also tied Ohio’s Mike Skeeles for most strikeouts in a game. And that record dated back to 1994.
“I didn’t really know all that,” the generally softspoken Shambaugh said after he helped Team Oklahoma beat Texas Friday night. “I just wanted to play well, represent my state and represent Jay.”
He certainly accomplished those goals.
Not only did he pitch the no-hitter, but he hit two walk-off homers Friday — both to opposite field. First, he victimized Ohio over at Norman North. Then he sent the Texans fuming from L. Dale Mitchell Park and back to their temporary residences.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Oklahoma coach Pete Sangirardi said after the Texas game. “We all knew about him, what kind of player he was. And he played against us (Bixby) in tournaments this year. But to see him do it here, he’s just a great player.”
Shambaugh, to the delight of most fans here in Norman, is headed to Oklahoma next fall. And if what he did during the Heartland Classic is any indication, coach Sunny Golloway and the Sooner Nation can expect some fireworks from Jay’s finest.
“I’m really excited to be playing up here in Norman,” Shambaugh said. “It’s such a great town, and I love the fans.”
Shambaugh hit .443 with 10 homers and 33 runs batted in for Jay this spring. That was in 35 games. He also went 4-3 with a 0.67 earned run average and 98 strikeouts in 45 innings.
Unfortunately, Jay fell in the regional round of the playoffs, so Shambaugh didn’t get to show his stuff off at the state tournament.
“We got a really tough draw,” he said. “We just didn’t really have the arms to keep up.”
Forget about state, though.
What he did in Norman last week was impressive, against much tougher competition. The Heartland Classic is one of the premier pre-college baseball tournaments in the country. Shambaugh faced the best from six other states and Ontario, Canada.
While his teammates and coaches will never forget those two walk-offs on Friday, his no-hitter Wednesday was still his finest moment.
He sat in the dugout by himself, no one talking to him. He was thinking over things, and thinking about how sore his arm already was, before he took the mound in the sixth inning.
“I guess, by then, I realized that, ‘Hey, they don’t have any hits,’” he said. “I was sore, but I wanted to go out there and pitch my best.”
After he struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh, Team Arkansas’ final hitter, shaking his head as he walked back to his team, Shambaugh didn’t really celebrate much. It certainly wasn’t the kind of celebration everyone saw from him Friday night after his ball cleared the wall against the Texans. He got in line with his teammates and shook hands with the opponents he had just cut down over and over.
Over the loud speaker, someone came on and announced the no-hitter and his 15 strikeouts. The crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Shambaugh looked up for a second, then smiled shyly, ducked his head and went back into the dugout.
As good as he felt and as great a week as he had, there could be even bigger things waiting for him the next time he comes to town.
Jeff Johncox 366-3535 jjohncox@normantranscript.com
