It was the bottom of the ninth inning with University of Wisconsin Oshkosh pitcher Chris Atwood on the mound. The count was two balls and two strikes and Titan head coach Kevin Tomasiewicz called for a changeup.

The pressure was on.

Atwood threw the changeup and Finlandia University’s batter did not move.

Strike three was called.

Third out, game over.

The senior from Oak Park, Ill., had just pitched a no-hitter. Only the 10th in Titan program history and the first since 1995.

“During the last pitch I knew what was at stake—the no-hitter—so all I was trying to do was stay focused and block out thoughts that didn’t involve executing the final pitch,” Atwood said. “I wanted to put it low and away and try and get him to swing over it, but ended up as a strike at the top of the zone that the hitter did not swing at. Once I heard the umpire’s call, I knew I could finally relax and enjoy the celebration. It was a great feeling.”

Tomasiewicz was so dialed into the game, he didn’t realize history was upon the Titans until late in the game.

“I actually didn’t notice Chris was throwing a no-hitter until the eighth inning,” Tomasiewicz said. “The game was close, and I was worried about how we were going to score. Once we scored, I looked at the scoreboard and realized it. Usually it is etiquette that no one talks about it on the bench, so I was unaware for a long time.”

Once Tomasiewicz realized the potential for a no-hitter, there was “a controlled excitement” in the dugout for the final inning.

“When Chris was throwing his last few pitches, I was holding Colan Treml (another Titan pitcher) back so he didn’t rush the field while the play was still going on,” Tomasiewicz said. “It was a really fun experience. I hope we get to do it again sometime soon.”

Atwood threw only 88 pitches and retired 27 of the 29 batters he faced in the history-making performance. Atwood also had a career-high 13 strike outs.

A no-hitter takes a team effort to happen, and Titan catcher Jensen Hinton was an important part.

“During the ninth inning, I was thinking to myself that the first out was the most important and if Chris got that one, he could do it,” Hinton said. “I was trying to not get caught up in the moment and be a calming influence for Chris, because we all knew what was at stake—but I was just acting like there was nothing out of the ordinary going on.”

Like Atwood, it was the first no-hitter Hinton was a part of.

“It was very special to share that moment with Chris,” Hinton said.

Atwood feels his no-hitter has given him more confidence and has him even more excited for the rest of the season. He also knows he has to put it behind him.

“I definitely fell proud knowing how rare no-hitters occur but I cannot allow the no-hitter to mean a lot to me right now,” Atwood said. “We have many more games with much tougher competition this season, so I will do my best to stay focused on the task at hand.”

The next task is a four-game series at Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) foe UW-La Crosse. The opening doubleheader of the four-game series is on Saturday, April 13.

Written by Molly Schuster, Marketing and Communication STEP intern