Voice Commentary on Hooper and his no-hitter on Sunday

Being at James B. Miller Stadium on Sunday was extra-special.

It was in the sixth inning that I started to focus on the fact that Jason Hooper was “totally in charge” on the mound and was wondering to myself if a no-hitter might be on the horizon.

There is a well-known, unwritten rule, that you DON’T talk about a no-hitter bid prior the it actually happening. So I’m blogging, giving an inning-by-inning update of Sunday’s games vs. Stout.

I’m thinking to myself – “self, I CANNOT talk about Jason Hooper closing in on a no-hitter – how do I let my readers no something special is happening without breaking the unwritten rule?

I blogged at the end of five innings when the score was 1-1 - Dare I say we have a pitchers dual here at James B. Miller Stadium this afternoon.

Hawks go up 5-0 and I blog at the end of seven innings - Line Score though seven innings:
Whitewater: 5 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors
Stout: 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors

I'll keep you updated!

I’m desparately trying to tell those clicking onto http://voiceseyeonbaseball.blogspot.com/ without mentioning that the story of the game is Hooper’s bid for the first complete game, single pitcher no-hitter in nearly two decades.

Hooper gets through top of eighth allowing just his third walk of the game.

Middle of 8th inning:

Warhawks 5
Blue Devils 0

I spent the final half-inning standing on-top of the UWW dugout taking photos and listening to the crowd below me, along with the Hawk players and coaches in the dugout, yelling encouragement out to Jason Hooper.

The No. 1 voice that I was hearing was Jim Miller, living and dying with each pitch while grilling below me.

Two ground outs in the ninth and finally, Hooper gets Jesse Brockman to strike out swinging and Hooper closes the deal on the first complete game no-hitter for a Warhawk picher since Todd Grenke accomplished the feat on April 7th, 1993 against Carroll College. Adam Dominick and Steve Hedgepath combined to pitch a no-hitter for Whitewater on April 20, 2008 against UW-Superior.

To put the no-hitter in perspective – most of the current UWW players were still in diapers when Genke fired his no-hitter!

What is most remarkable about Hooper’s fete is that he was pitching on basically one night’s rest. Hooper pitched four innings, and picked up the win, in Saturday’s 21-6 win in game-one of SATURDAY’S double-header at the Mills.

As the result of two straight days of postponing last Wednesday’s WIAC opening doubleheader at Platteville, Whitewater would have to play six games in the next three days. The first thing I thought is how would Coach Vodenlich set up his pitching for the back-to back-to back twin bills.

Following Sunday’s pitching gem by Hooper, Coach Vodenlich dropped this information on me: ”On Friday down in Platteville he (Hooper) said I know you and Coach (pitching coach Ryan Callahan) are thinking about how you are going to manage six games in the next three days. You know about saving some people (pitchers). Just to let you know, I can throw a complete game today (Friday), tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday if you need me to. I said, Hoop, we’re not going to ask that of you but I appreciate you telling me that you are ready to go. He obviously was ready to go!!

It says volumes about the heart, senior leadership, and skill of Jason Hooper.