Rebounding from their 6-3 loss against Creighton University, Pilots baseball looked forward to a regular non-conference match against Seattle University. Senior pitcher Ryan Rembisz took the mound, thinking it was a typical game. But by the game's last three innings, it was clear that this particular night was far from typical.
Junior catcher Tyler Howard says in a sport that demands complete mental focus, the team can’t afford to let any play get to their heads from behind the plate — even if they sense they may be watching history unfold.
“You just start thinking about in the sixth and seventh [inning] like, ‘OK, is this really going to happen?’” Howard said.
Howard is referring to a perfect game, in which a team or pitcher not only allows no hits, but no batter even gets on base. A no-hitter may include a walk or error, but for a perfect game, all opposing batters must be retired. In baseball, the chance of throwing a no-hitter is roughly 0.16%. However, the likelihood of throwing a perfect game is even more improbable, around a 0.01% chance.
However, through nine innings, 26 Redhawks had stood in the batter’s box, and all had been sent back to the dugout. Hoping to break their dry spell, Seattle University sent in outfielder pinch-hitter Hunter Komine and worked the count to one ball and two strikes to bring Rembisz to his 89th pitch of the night.
As Rembisz hurled the 90th pitch, Komine chopped the ball to freshman infielder Cole Katayama-Stall at third base.
“It all happened pretty fast, so I didn't think at all during the play,” Katayama-Stall said. “I just let my instincts take over. But before the pitch, I knew the pitch was going to be a changeup away, so a good chance that the ball was going to be hit to me.”
Rembisz placed his hands on his knees in suspense — but Katayama-Stall was ready.
He rushed the ball and launched it to Zach Toglia at first base, who immediately sprinted toward Rembisz with celebratory fervor.
At that moment, they both knew — the .01% had been achieved.
On Feb. 25, Rembisz threw the first perfect game in Pilots history, leading the team to an 8-0 victory over the Seattle University Redhawks.
Through incredible efficiency with 12 strikeouts in only 90 pitches, Rembisz became the first Pilot with a no-hitter since 1958 and only the fourth Pilots pitcher in program history. No other Pilot has thrown a no-no in a complete nine innings.
Rembisz and Pilots baseball pose for a photo on Etzel Field following the perfect game on Feb. 25. Photo courtesy of Ryan Rembisz.
In NCAA history, there have been just 36 perfect games and only 21 in nine-inning games. Rembisz now adds to both records.
Head Coach Geoff Loomis said that he noticed after the sixth inning how efficiently Rembisz was pitching, so he kept Rembisz in the game.
“I checked in on his pitch count after the sixth, found that it was lower than what I expected, and then I got to watch perfection in action the rest of the way,” Loomis said.
Loomis has had a storied UP career as both a coach and player. He still holds the program record for career batting average. However, Rembisz’s outing was a new experience.
“I've been a college head coach for 23 years,” Loomis said. “I've never seen a perfect game in person.”
The incredible performance was a product of Rembisz’s determination, who has historically been a relief pitcher and threw the perfect game in just his third career start. Rembisz had to overcome the imposter syndrome that he struggled with during his sophomore and junior years.
“I don't really have the most natural talent, I would say, out of any pitcher,” Rembisz said. I don't throw hard very easily, my stuff has never been crazy. I was a bad pitcher up to junior year of high school. Just flat out bad.”
The Pilots’ offense scored four runs in the first inning to support the outing and built on it, scoring all eight runs by the end of the third inning. The team was led at the dish by junior infielder Jonas Salk, who went 2-5 with two RBIs off of a first-inning homer and an RBI single in the third.
“The first three innings flew by while I was having fun in the dugout, so I was like, ‘Let's just keep doing that,’” Rembisz said.
Katayama-Stall attributed the team’s success to their ability to play the game without overthinking and how much fun the team was having.
“He was trying to stay loose in the dugout too, just talking with the guys, not putting any extra pressure on it, just going out there and doing what he knows he can do,” Katayama-Stall said.
The entire game was caught by Howard, who also went 3-4 on the day with an RBI single in the first inning and a double to right-center field in the third.
“If you can get into a rhythm offensively, it’s a lot easier to get into a rhythm defensively,” Howard said.
No perfect game is earned without the effort of the whole team, and the entire Pilots defense delivered.
“They were playing terrific defense behind me the whole night,” Rembisz said. “They were making some plays that were just incredible. I was kind of trying to keep my end of the bargain by not walking guys, not throwing slow counts where they kind of had to settle down and focus.”
Rembisz embraces a teammate following the win. Photo courtesy of Pilots Athletics.
While the Pilots were in control for much of the game, the closest call for Howard came at the top of the eighth inning when Seattle outfielder Jared Stevenson rushed to first base on a dropped third strike. Howard’s throw was perfect, though he was wary about overthrowing the ball into right field.
Rembisz has reached this level by working hard not only on his game but also on his mentality.
Since the perfect game, Rembisz has focused on contributing to positive team morale, primarily through mentoring the team’s younger players.
Loomis attests that Rembisz is one of the team’s leaders.
“Ryan typically has a very optimistic outlook on things and relays his thoughts on pitching to the younger pitchers without being asked,” Loomis said.
The game brought Rembisz large-scale attention, including a post on Major League Baseball’s (MLB) official Instagram account. After the game, he spent at least an hour in the locker room responding to congratulatory texts.
Many who reached out were expected, though not all.
“I think the weirdest one was this past week when we were in Arkansas,” Rembisz said. “I was just walking to the bullpen, and this one kid, like a seven-year-old kid in a full Arkansas jersey, was like, ‘Hey Ryan, sign this ball for me… that was an awesome game you threw last week.’”
Ryan currently leads the team with four wins, two of which have occurred since the perfect game. One winning performance against Pacific included seven strikeouts and a shutout through seven innings. In his first appearance following the perfect game, he struck out eight batters in five innings, though the Pilots fell short.
Having already accrued his most games started and innings pitched in a season, Rembisz has also set a career season with 38 strikeouts and a low opponent batting average of .239 thus far.
With roughly half of the season remaining, Rembisz and the Pilots have a lot of work left, but they know they are capable of great things.
“It just gave me a world of confidence that I'm doing the right thing out here, and I'm meant to be here and starting,” Rembisz said. “The imposter syndrome just vanished. Suddenly I became the four-year vet that I always knew I was.”
Kaeden Souki is a sports reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at souki28@up.edu.
