The perfect game club is one of the most exclusive groups in all of sports, especially in college baseball. Only 27 players in Division I baseball history had ever achieved the illustrious feat, but Sunday that number grew to 28 as East Carolina lefthander Jake Kuchmaner sat down 27 Maryland batters in a row to give his team the 3-0 win and a perfect stat line. 

Kuchmaner’s path to this achievement was far from perfect, as the sophomore saw limited time on the mound his freshman season. As his second season with the Pirates began, the lefty didn’t appear in the team’s first seven games. Despite the lack of playing time, ECU coach Cliff Godwin said Kuchmaner remained patient and ready. 

“At no point in time did he ever complain about playing time or not come to the field with a ton of energy,” Godwin said. “He’s always an energy source for our team. He’s worked at it and he believes in himself. He has a ton of confidence because of the preparation he put in a long time ago before game day ever arrives.”

Once Kuchmaner got the opportunity he took full advantage, as he started the season 1-1, giving up just two runs and seven hits in two appearances. But he really found his stride in a March 6 midweek game at Ole Miss. Kuchmaner retired 25 straight batters, striking out nine, before allowing a walk. Still determined to finish with ECU’s first no-hitter in 14 years, he came within one strike before walking Michael Fitzsimmons on a 3-2 pitch. The next batter, Thomas Dillard, singled to end the no-hit bid. 

Six days later the Pirates called on the sophomore out of the bullpen in another tough midweek road game at Duke. Kuchmaner continued his impressive work, going 5 ⅔ innings and allowing just one hit with six strikeouts in a 7-2 loss to the Blue Devils. 

After the close no-hitter the previous week, Kuchmaner’s father asked him what was next to come from his son. 

“After the almost-no-hitter he said, ‘I guess the only thing you can do now is throw a no-hitter or a perfect game,’” Kuchmaner said. “I jokingly said I would try the perfect game thing.”

Kuchmaner was only supposed to pitch five innings against the Terrapins on Sunday after a busy two weeks. The Pirates had their entire bullpen fresh after good outings from their starters on Friday and Saturday, and they were looking to complete the sweep. Kuchmaner reached his five-inning limit but still felt fresh, telling his pitching coach that he could keep going. 

“I just kept taking it one pitch at a time and see what happens,” Kuchmaner said. “For me it was about trusting my coaching staff and trusting their decisions and plans for me, and then going out and executing.” 

As he took the mound for the ninth, Kuchmaner was focused on finishing the game. He was able to retire the first two batters with ease, and struck out the third batter swinging to secure the win and the perfect game for the Pirates. He finished with eight strikeouts.

After the final out, he celebrated the moment with his teammates, as he knew he couldn’t have done it without them. 

“The best part was how awesome we had played all day; it was a complete effort up and down,” Kuchmaner said. “I think everybody was excited that we got it, and I was excited for everybody that we could do that together as a team.”

Godwin has watched Kuchmaner develop in his two years with the program and he believes that Sunday’s perfect game was a culmination of his hard work. 

“What I’ve told people the entire time is that it couldn’t have happened to a better person,” Godwin said. “Someone who has worked his tail off since he stepped foot on campus, not only on the field but in the classroom. He has been a great teammate since day one.”

Kuchmaner came into the season having worked on his array of pitches with an 83-87 mph fastball, an improved changeup that is clocking in around 75-77, and he has shown promise with big, slow curve around 68-74. The changeup has become his biggest weapon, a plus pitch with excellent arm speed and fade. Pitching coach Dan Roszel has worked closely with the lefty and says the biggest difference he notices is Kuchmaner’s approach to the game. 

“Honestly I think the biggest change is his mentality overall,” Roszel said. “Last year he will tell you he wasn’t thinking about the right things, and the belief wasn’t quite what it is right now. He always had the intangibles and he had that fire in his belly, which not a lot of guys have, and you always knew he was going to be successful. Now he is really starting to believe in his stuff.” 

In this remarkable three-game span, Kuchmaner has gone 2-0, allowing just three runs (both baserunners wound up scoring after he exited at Ole Miss) along with two hits and 23 strikeouts in 23 ⅓ innings pitched. According to Roszel, this three-game stretch is unlike any other he has seen in his time as a coach. 

“It’s something fun to watch and something I’m definitely not taking for granted,” Roszel said. “You look up and you may not have a guy ever in my time coaching ever do that again. Honestly it’s fun to see him throw the ball well with how hard of a worker he is. Now all that is matching up with the work ethic and the kind of kid he is and the pitcher I always envisioned he was going to be in our rotation.”

Along with earning himself a spot in the weekend rotation going forward, Kuchmaner has also etched his name into college baseball history with Sunday’s record performance. Despite reaching the rare milestone, he still has his focus on the bigger picture for a 20th-ranked Pirates team that is primed for a big season. 

“I don’t know if it’s really set in. I haven’t really put much thought into it, because at least right now it’s a distraction from what we have this week,” Kuchmaner said. “The perfect game is never perfect, and there are places that I can still improve on, and that is really what I take from it is what can I do to get better this week.”