Perfection sought, attained for Bulldogs hurler

Andy Pagnozzi put together a stellar high school pitching career at Fayetteville High School, and it would be difficult to find a better outing than his final appearance on the mound for the Bulldogs.

The 6-0 right-handed pitcher delivered a perfect game against Little Rock Central in the quarterfinals of the Class 7A state tournament, and he took fewer than 60 pitches to do it.

"He was really in control the entire game," Fayetteville Coach Vance Arnold said. "He had given up a home run to Central in last year's state tournament, and it almost cost us the game. I think that caused him to be very focused this time around."

"Every pitch felt right," said Pagnozzi, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Baseball Player of the Year. "It was my best game this year, for sure."

Pagnozzi posted a 9-1 record during his senior season, compiling a 0.61 earned run average while striking out 110 in 68 innings. As a junior, Pagnozzi had an 11-1 record with a 1.12 ERA.

"His best attribute was his ability to locate his pitches," Arnold said. "He could throw his curveball for a strike or he could throw it out of the zone and make batters swing. He showed great composure on the mound."

Pagnozzi compiled a long list of accomplishments while playing for Fayetteville.

"Starting all four years while I was there is one thing I'm really proud of," Pagnozzi said. "Winning a state championship my sophomore year has certainly got to be up there. But I what I think is amazing is that the core group of guys I've been playing with has been basically the same since we were 9 and 10 years old.

"We've been a true team for a long time."

Pagnozzi plans to continue his career at Ole Miss, provided that any deal is too good to pass up with a major-league team in next week's draft.

"I'd love to be a top [draft] pick, but I don't think I'm a top pick," Pagnozzi said. "I'm not there yet. I think I can contribute at Ole Miss. If some team wants to draft me and wants to give me a lot of money, then I'm all for it."

"Ole Miss will change him some," Arnold said. "They'll make him more flexible and maybe even more dominant. ... In five years, I expect he'll be playing pro ball somewhere."

Pagnozzi credited his father, Tom Pagnozzi, a former Arkansas Razorback who played 12 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, with getting him to where he is now.

"My dad has been a great role model," Pagnozzi said. "He's taught me how to handle every situation."

But as far as his best effort ever, the perfect game in his last appearance was something Pagnozzi will be remembered for.

"He was locating all four pitches, and he was around 88 or 89 [mph] all day," Arnold said. "To me, there's no question that was his best game."

Sports on 06/07/2015