Chris McMahon is turning the heads of major-league scouts
The West Chester Rustin senior is a hard-throwing righthander.
STAFF WRITER
With 20-plus major-league scouts on hand Monday afternoon, Chris McMahon turned in arguably the best performance of his high school career.
The senior righthander tossed a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts as visiting West Chester Rustin edged Bishop Shanahan, 1-0, in a Ches-Mont League cross-division matchup in Downingtown.
"It definitely felt good, especially since it was my first no-hitter," said McMahon, who walked two batters.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder, who closed the taut victory with a 94-mph fastball, has drawn visits not only from area scouts but also general managers and regional scouting directors.
That type of attention could translate into McMahon's being picked in the first-year player draft next month. He has committed to play at the University of Miami.
He mixes a fastball that sits between 90 and 94 mph, a rapidly improving change-up, and curveball. One scout's radar gun showed his fastball at 96 mph in his first start this season.
"He's got a very fluid motion," Rustin coach Brad Harkins said. "When you watch him throw, he does it in effortless fashion. It's really fun to watch him."
McMahon, a third-year varsity member, is 6-0 with a 0.68 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 41 innings and .707 WHIP. He has allowed 26 hits, four earned runs, and three walks.
"I focus on throwing strikes, getting ahead in the count, and keeping my pitch count down," the 18-year-old said. "I'm not just looking to blow my fastball past batters."
McMahon was a striker in soccer and wing guard in basketball for the Golden Knights.
"I was never a big fan of specializing in one sport," he said. "I think playing three sports has helped strengthen my overall athleticism."
McMahon usually trains once a week with All-Star Baseball Academy's Scott Gorgen, who pitched at California Irvine and was a fourth-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008.
"He's really helped in the development of my secondary pitches," said McMahon, who played in showcase tournaments across the East Coast last summer for the Evoshield Canes.
Doubling as a first basemen for Rustin, McMahon was batting a team-high .411 with 16 RBIs, 13 runs, five doubles, and two home runs through Monday. He had a .607 slugging percentage and .484 on-base percentage.
The Golden Knights are 12-6 after a 9-4 Ches-Mont League win Wednesday over Great Valley, an American Division rival.
They are battling for positioning in the PIAA District 1 Class 5A playoff tournament.
"I think we're starting to click at the right time," McMahon said. "We're a bunch of guys who like to battle."
The pitching staff also includes No. 2 starter Alec Bales, Jim Haines, Ben Watson, Joe Love-Sheller, and Evan Snyder. Bales, a junior righthander, was 2-3 with a 1.42 ERA and 22 whiffs in 29 innings.
Shortstop Jake Geissler (.400 batting average, 17 runs, and 13 RBIs through Monday) and rightfielder Nick Maiorano (.353, 10, 14) have shined at the plate.
Harkins said there's much more to McMahon than his eye-popping baseball talents. "He's an awesome kid and a great teammate," the coach said. "He does not put himself on a pedestal whatsoever."
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