Prior to the beginning of the Nevada high school baseball season, Pershing County High School pitcher Wil Schumacher was considered one of the best pitchers — if not the best — in the entire state.

On Saturday, the Incline High School varsity baseball team found out the hype was well-deserved.

Schumacher tossed a no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday between Incline and Lovelock, helping the Mustangs complete a two-game sweep of Incline, winning both games 22-8 and 15-0, respectively.

“He is so good. He consistently throws in the mid to high 80s, and he has great breaking balls,” said IHS coach Tony Ernesto. “We knew Schumacher was good; these kids knew that. And it was good to hit against him. The kids might as well see the best, so they can measure themselves against the best.”

With the losses, Incline finished its 2008 independent season with a 4-17 record.
In game one Saturday, Ernesto said he was proud of the way his team hit, considering the eight runs scored.

“We hit the hell out of the ball,” Ernesto said. “We got to their second and third pitcher well.”

The problem, like it has been all season, was a lack of consistent pitching for Incline. Josh Lindsey and Jackson Elley pitched for Incline. Lindsey, a senior, returned from a knee injury to pitch Saturday, his final game as a Highlander.

But without a consistent bullpen for Incline, which it has lacked all season, it was only a matter of time before the loaded Lovelock team found its groove, Ernesto said.
“They hit the ball better than any team I’ve seen all season, they hit it harder than any team I’ve seen,” Ernesto said. “They’ve got a big squad, and they’ve beaten some 3A and 4A talent this year, so we knew they were good.”

Despite the disappointing finish to the season, Ernesto said the underclassmen will benefit next season, considering seven of the team’s nine starters Saturday should return next year.