Mugarian outshines Chipley's Whitson with no-hitter

PENSACOLA — Catholic High pitcher Wes Mugarian saw the 30-plus professional baseball scouts standing behind home plate.

He knew all about his highly touted opposition, Chipley starter Karsten Whitson, one of the nation’s top-rated high school players. Mugarian felt the adrenaline as radar guns pointed his way during warmups.

“I was a little nervous before,” he said.

As it turned out, those nerves were a good thing.

In as big of a stage as a regular-season game can offer, Mugarian was flat-out brilliant, tossing a no-hitter in Catholic’s 2-0 win against Chipley on Friday night. It was the first seven-inning no-hitter of his high school career.

Mugarian (2-0) picked a big night in this District 1-3A showdown to enjoy one of the best memories of his life.

“What a pitching duel,” Catholic High coach Richard LaBounty said. “Both pitchers threw the ball extremely well and were dominant the whole game. Wes, as he’s done throughout his career, in the big game he’s found a way to win. He was extremely dominant (Friday).”

Mugarian, a University of Alabama signee, threw 98 pitches, 65 for strikes. He struck out 15 batters while walking just two. His performance overshadowed a stellar outing from Whitson (86 pitches, 60 strikes), who struck out 14 batters.

Hitting 94 mph several times on the scouts’ radar guns, the first 13 outs recorded by Whitson came by strikeout. Baseball America ranks Whitson, a Florida Gators’ signee, as one of the nation’s Top 10 prospects available for June’s Major League Baseball draft.

“I know Karsten, he’s a great pitcher and I knew he was going to strike out a lot of guys,” said Mugarian, who moved his career record to 18-0. “We were head-to-head the whole time, and we matched each other pitch for pitch. It was a great experience, I’ll never forget it.”

While both offenses were befuddled throughout the game, it was an early at bat from Catholic’s Devin Dukes that gave Mugarian all the offense he needed.

In the first inning, Dukes got around on one of Whitson’s 93 mph fastballs, ripping it over the left field fence to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead.

“Like the coaches say, I kept my swing short and fast,” Dukes said of what turned out to be the game-winning home run. “Get the bat out no matter what. That’s all it took. He pitched me in the zone, so you’ve got to hit it.”

Then Mugarian went to work, striking out the side in the second. Whitson matched it in the bottom half of the second, then did it again in the third and fourth. Aside from Dukes’ home run, a Catholic hitter didn’t put a ball in play until Evin Smith’s check-swing groundout to first in the bottom of the fifth.

Back came Mugarian, who struck out the side again in the fifth and sixth innings. He fanned two more in the seventh, including the final out just before his teammates stormed the field to congratulate him.

“First and second, I tried to pump it in there and strike everyone out, then the third and fourth I tried to just mellow out and let my infielders work and save some for the end of the game,” said Mugarian, who, combined with Whitson, posted 29 strikeouts among the total 39 outs recorded. “It’s a good thing I did that or I wouldn’t have been able to finish.”

Catholic scratched an insurance run across in the sixth when a wild pitch by Whitson allowed Chase Keifer — who had the only other hit of the game aside from Dukes — to score.

Of course, that was mere window dressing for Mugarian, who dominated one of the best pitching duels this area has seen in years.

“He’s always risen to the occasion, and once again, he rose to the occasion (Friday),” LaBounty said. “It was terrific pitching matchup, and Wes made all the pitches the whole game. He was dominant from the first pitch to the last pitch.”

• CATHOLIC 2, CHIPLEY 0
• Chipley                            000 000 0— 0 0 1
• Catholic (5-3, 1-0)........... 100 001 0—2 2 0
• W—Wes Mugarian (2-0), 7 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 15 K, 2 BB. L—Karsten Whitson, 6 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 2 ER, 14 K, 0 BB, 2 HBP.
• Catholic Hitters: Devin Dukes 1-3 HR, RBI; Chase Keifer 1-2, 1B, R.