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McKay Extends Scoreless Innings Streak

May 7, 2014

By Greg Williams
PA Director of Scouting

Brendan McKayTo flirt with a national high school baseball record that has stood for 41 years is a difficult and nerve racking task. With each new zero that Blackhawk HS senior lefty Brendan McKay posts he inches closer to a scoreless inning standard that has stood since 1973. If the overflow crowd that made its way to Chippewa Park today is evidence of what is to come, McKay will be attempting to reach the record in front of standing room only crowds the rest of his senior season.

On Tuesday McKay appeared as if the ballpark was empty as he went about his business dispensing of the Montour Spartans with a tidy one-hitter with 14 strikeouts. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Louisville recruit faced one batter over the minimum yielding just an infield hit in the second inning while walking nobody.

McKay began the day just outside the top 10 spots on the all-time NFHS list for high school pitchers with 51 consecutive scoreless innings. With his three strikeout first inning of work he moved into a three-way tie with Jason Codiroll (San Jose Mitty, CA - 2005) and former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Scott McGregor (El Segundo, CA - 1972).

As the night progressed and the zeroes continued to add up McKay moved past 7 pitchers on the all-time list and into the No. 4 spot behind Jerry Jordan (Avenal, CA - 1970 - 59 innings), Mike Halperin (Naples Barron Collier, FL - 1991 - 72 1/3 innings) and national record holder Joey Porter (South Natchez Adams, MS - 1973 - 80 innings).

McKay's next start will not come for nearly two weeks when the Cougars play in the WPIAL playoffs. It is conceivable that he would get four or five more starts this season if the Cougars, ranked No. 6 in the Class 3A state poll by PBR, continue to advance deep into the state tournament.

While the 80 innings plateau is still a ways away it is not a reach to believe that McKay will have an opportunity to flirt with it based on the numbers he has compiled during his high school career. McKay is now 5-0 (27-1 in his career) with 78 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched this spring. He has authored five complete game shutouts while recording 20 strikeouts in a game twice. McKay has yielded just eight hits on the season.

His draft status is still in question but the droves of scouts that are filing in to see him throw indicate that it is likely he will hear his name called come early June. The question will be in what round and will it be high enough to lure him from applying his craft at Louisville next season.

For measureable information and scouting notes on McKay's performance Tuesday see the Pennsylvania Scout Blog.


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