For everyone involved, the realization of what was possible occurred at different times.
Maryland left-hander Ryan Ramsey first turned toward the scoreboard in the sixth inning, a habit he wishes he didn’t have, and saw the slew of zeros side by side. Catcher Luke Shliger realized something special was brewing in the seventh, but he pretended there was nothing out of the ordinary. And coach Rob Vaughn turned to pitching coach Mike Morrison in the eighth, sharing a glance and nothing more.
“You don’t want to say anything,” Vaughn said.
Because if they said anything, the chance at perfection might’ve been lost as quickly as it took to speak the possibility into existence.
As it was, Ramsey, Shliger and Vaughn stood on the field at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Monday afternoon because of what happened Friday night, when 27 Northwestern batters walked to the plate and 27 were sent back to the dugout. Ramsey threw the 20th nine-inning perfect game in NCAA Division I history, the first Terps pitcher to do so since Dick Reitz on April 10, 1959.
When that final out was completed, that’s when all parties involved let their guards down. Ramsey charged toward Shliger, his battery mate, and jumped into his arms.
“I don’t even know how he kept me up there,” Ramsey said. “I was literally wrapped around him. He had me in a full embrace.”
It wasn’t until Shliger’s second go-around, when the jumping and yelling stopped and he settled for a more traditional handshake with the starting pitcher, that the magnitude of the accomplishment settled in.
“We just did something really special that hasn’t been brought to College Park in 50 years,” Shliger told Ramsey.
The perfect game is just part of what’s been one of the best seasons in Maryland baseball history. The Terps (35-9) are one win away from matching their highest regular-season win total ever. Vaughn’s squad is pushing to host an NCAA Regional in College Park, a turnaround that has been led by a veteran lineup and the presence of a dominant weekend rotation that features Ramsey, Jason Savacool and Nick Dean.
To get here, within striking distance of a Big Ten Conference title, Vaughn said it started with recruiting. The transfers, veteran bats and surprise contributors have propelled Maryland to No. 19 nationally, according to Baseball America’s rankings.
“It’s a perfect storm of the veteran lineup with the young talent,” Vaughn said. “It’s been a fun ride, man. I think this group can keep playing for a little while.”
When Ramsey got through the Northwestern lineup for a second time, what stood out to Vaughn most was the southpaw’s ability to work efficiently. Vaughn moved Ramsey from the Saturday role into the Friday night slot for the first time that weekend, although Ramsey said the only thing that changed was pitching at night rather than during the day.
The other thing that changed, of course, was his scorecard. There were plays in the field, though, that helped keep the perfect outing going. On a sharply hit ball to right field to end the eighth inning, Troy Schreffler Jr. went back on a sprint, leaped and made the catch.
“That’s when I was like, ‘Holy cow, this thing might actually happen,’” Vaughn said.
Ramsey faced three-ball counts five times as part of his 118-pitch outing. Those were the moments his heart raced slightly, knowing a missed spot could wipe out his perfect game. But Ramsey handled those nerves, going right after hitters and coming out on top.
With a day off from practice Monday for the Terps, the Orioles invited the team’s coaching staff, Ramsey and Shliger to Camden Yards early. They stood on the field, met with manager Brandon Hyde and watched batting practice. The whole team was in attendance for Monday’s series opener against the Minnesota Twins as well, earning recognition for a historic feat.
“It’s really cool for our program on more of a national scene, just to get a little bit of recognition,” Vaughn said. “The boys are turning in a great year. It’s just really neat to have the city of Baltimore and the Orioles organization reach out about wanting to do this.”
There have only been 20 perfect games in Division I history, and the last time a Maryland pitcher did it occurred just five years after the Orioles came to Baltimore.
So with that final out achieved, the lid that had been held tightly to avoid spoiling the night was quickly uncorked with Ramsey leaping onto Shliger. They’ll never have to pretend not to notice the zeros across the scoreboard again.
“Ryan’s a big kid, bigger than me, but he jumped in my arms,” Shliger said. “You’ve gotta appreciate the moment right there, because baseball is a special sport.”
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