VIRGINIA BEACH — VIRGINIA BEACH (WTKR) — Players only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Princess Anne pitcher Russell Baker didn't just make a good opening impression, he turned it into a milestone moment.
In a 16-0 win for the Cavaliers over Green Run on Tuesday, the junior tossed a 10 strikeout, no-hitter in a five inning affair.
"I was definitely paying attention to everything I was throwing," Baker said. "It definitely has sunk in because there's no better start than that."
An already an impressive outing was made even more eye-opening because it was his first start at the varsity level.
"I was trying to just get up there and not let it get to my head," Baker said. "Get out there, throw strikes, if they hit it I'll trust my defense because I knew they had my back the whole time."
"I haven't seen that yet," said PA head coach Marc Joe. "He could've been nervous as could be, but he's as cool as a cucumber. He just loves to go out there have fun, that's why we love Russ. He doesn't put too much pressure on himself."
One of the long, unwritten traditions in baseball is to leave a pitcher alone when they are in the midst of throwing a perfect game or no-hitter. Baker didn't adhere to the old superstition.
"I was engaged in the game the whole time. I was cheering when we were hitting," he said. "I wasn't really trying to think about it because I didn't want to let it get in my head."
Princess Anne is off to a 3-0 start, hoping to improve off an 18-win campaign in 2024.
Baker's performance proving to potentially be a good omen of things to come, both for the team and the junior's ability on the mound.
"For Russell to step up in his first varsity start and get the job done, that's pretty good," Joe said.
"It's a great thing to be able to say that I've done because not many people can say they've done it," Baker said. "So I think it's really cool."
