Sam Swearengin tosses no-hitter

The Fresno Christian Eagles had their first East Sierra League game on April 29 at Summit Charter. The Eagles came in with a record of  9-4, hungry for their first league victory. Sam Swearingen, ‘22, threw for seven innings with seven strikeouts and no hits allowed, giving the Eagles their first league win and with a no-hitter. Fresno Christian shut out the Summit Charter Bears, 22-0, on the road making a statement for the rest of the league to see.

Swearengin discusses his no-hitter with me against the Summit Charter Bears and this accomplishment as a freshman starter. 

“It felt pretty good,” Swearengin said. “I didn’t realize I was throwing a no-hitter until about the sixth inning. Coach was going to pull me out and someone was like you can’t pull him out he’s throwing a no-hitter, so basically I told him you can pull me out as soon as I give up a hit and I didn’t.”  

During the game Swearengin’s fastball was working for him exceptionally. Pitching since he was nine, Swearengin has developed multiple pitches such as a two-seam fastball, four-seam fastball, a circle change-up and a curve ball.

In baseball, a no-hitter is one of the most difficult things to pull off. For a pitcher, it’s one of the biggest milestones in their career. No-hitters don not occur very often. According to the Minitab Blog, the odds of throwing a no-hitter are 1 in 1,548, which is not impossible, but is very difficult to do.

For the individuals that might not know what a no-hitter is, here is the rundown. A no-hitter is when a pitcher does not allow the opposing team to record a single hit in the game.

However, the difference between a no-hitter and a “perfect game” is when a no-hitter happens. It is possible for a batter to get on base without a hit. Swearengin unfortunately hit an opposing batter during the game, allowing the batter on base.

Senior shortstop Brandon Brogan gave his thoughts on Swearengin’s no-hitter as freshman starter. Brogan also serves this team as a position player pitcher. 

“Sam’s no-hitter was very impressive, I’ve never been apart of one before,” Brogan said. “Adding on to that Sam is a freshman and I’ve been on the receiving end of a no-hitter, which isn’t fun at all. Sam carries himself very strongly through the game and I can’t wait to see the things he has coming in the next few years.”

A pitchers role of a no-hitter is a very special moment for all baseball players. Coach Noah Heinz, who has been a coach since the 2011-12 season, gave his perspective on Swearengin’s  game against Summit Charter.

“I didn’t even think about the no-hitter,” Heinz said. “Not until I turned to coach Wyatt and asked if he’s given up a hit. It was Sam’s best game pitching this year and it’s a great foundation to build on for his career here at FCS.”

Since their first league game at the end of March, the Eagles have won four of their last five games and are undefeated in league play with a 4-0 record as of April 11. The boys next game is against Summit Charter, hosting the game this time. First pitch is at 4;15 p.m. on Wednesday April 24.

For more sports profiles, check out Richie Cortez discusses FC girls soccer with Deborah Ingerson and Richie Cortez discusses FC basketball with captain Suky Cheema.

Richie Cortez can be reached via email.