Maxwell pitching duo on record pace

Maxwell (Calif.) senior pitchers Steven Perry and Tyler Wells aren't trying to break every section and state record, it only seems that way.

Four-year veterans of one of the more successful baseball programs in the Northern Section of California, Perry and Wells already own several section records and they are both on their way to putting their names in the state record book as well. That could come as soon as Friday for Perry.

With three straight no-hitters to his credit, Perry will start against the Chester Volcanoes on Friday in Maxwell in search of a fourth in a row.

"I didn't even realize I had three," said Perry, who has a career record of 27-5 with 300 strikeouts in his four varsity seasons. "I'm just trying to hit my spots and throw hard."

Last year, fellow Northern Section pitcher John Kukuruda of East Nicolaus set the state record with four in a row. It was later determined that Kukuruda actually tied the state record, which was previously set by Byron Randolph of Winters in 1963. Winters is another Northern Section school.

Perry hasn't allowed a run to score this year and he has given up only two hits in compiling a 6-0 record with 61 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. He got his first no-hitter against Colusa on March 25, striking out 11 in a 7-0 win.

Perry followed that performance with a 13-strikeout, no-walk effort in a 21-0, five-inning no-hitter against Hayfork on April 1. In his last outing, Perry struck out 12 and walked one in a 10-0 no-hitter against University Prep (Redding, Calif.) on Friday.

Wells, meanwhile, has a streak of his own. With a career mark of 30-1, Wells has not lost a decision since the second-to-last game of his freshman season. He's won 28 straight games heading into Friday's doubleheader with Chester. Perry will pitch one of the games of the twinbill while Wells will pitch the other.

According to the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book, Wells' run of 28 straight wins is the fourth-longest in state history. The state record is 33 in a row.

Wells is 5-0 on the season with 50 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched. Like Perry, Wells has a 0.00 ERA, although he has allowed two unearned runs. He also has two no-hitters on the season, including one in the first game of the doubleheader against Hayfork.

"I think playing basketball this year really helped me get ready for this year," said Wells. "We ran a lot more in basketball practice so I was in much better shape coming into the season."

Both Perry and Wells are all-around athletes. A pass-catch combination during football season, Wells and Perry led the Panthers to the Northern Section Division IV championship with an 11-1 record. Wells threw for 2,529 yards, the third-highest total in section history, and 33 touchdowns, the second-highest total ever. Perry, meanwhile, earned all-section honors with 56 receptions for 1,083 yards. His 2,333 career receiving yards rank second all-time in section history.

Wells also played basketball, where he averaged 23.5 points per game including a high of 46 points. He finished his career with 1,110 points. Perry didn't play basketball, instead focusing on getting ready for baseball season.

"I worked on getting stronger and it has really helped," he said. "I've probably added 10 mph on my fastball."

While both Perry and Wells have been outstanding on the mound, they've been even better at the plate. Perry has a chance to set state records for base hits and runs in a career while Wells could do the same for RBIs and doubles.

Perry has 180 runs scored including 63 last year (the third-highest total in state history). He's only 17 runs behind the state record held by Charlie Cutler of Lowell (San Francisco). The base hits record may be a little more elusive. With 170 career hits, Perry is 49 behind Cutler's career total of 219.

Wells, meanwhile, has 178 career RBIs, placing him 25 behind that man Cutler, who had 203 from 2002-2005. Wells' 52 career doubles are just four away from record-holder Josh Barber of Mt. Empire. Wells hit 20 doubles last year (fourth-best in state history) and already has eight this season.

If Wells doesn't set the doubles record, Perry might. He has 47 career doubles and already has nine this year.

Perhaps the most amazing stat for both Wells and Perry is their ability to put the bat on the ball. In 46 at-bats this season, Perry has struck out just once. He has only 15 strikeouts in 329 career at-bats. Wells is even better. He has yet to strike out in 41 at-bats this year and he has struck out just nine times in 289 career at-bats.

Winning has come fairly easy for Perry, Wells and the Panthers, who are 98-10 in the four seasons the duo have played on the varsity. However they both admit that they are looking forward to next week's Shasta Lake Tournament in Redding. With an enrollment less than 150, the Panthers can expect to play schools with close to 2,000. The prospect doesn't faze the duo, however.

"I'm looking forward to the competition," said Perry. "We play them during the summer so it will be a good test."

For Wells, it means an opportunity to play with some old teammates. A member of the Chico American Legion team over the summer, Wells has already let some of his former teammates know they might meet up at the tournament.

"I've already given them a hard time about it," said Wells. "I hope we get to play Pleasant Valley or Shasta. That should be fun."

First, however, the Panthers will take on Chester with both Wells and Perry hoping to extend their records for consecutive wins and consecutive no-hitters respectively.

"I was only going to pitch him a couple of innings against Chester, but I didn't realize that Steven had three no-hitters," said Maxwell coach Eric Lay. "I guess maybe we'll have to change those plans."