Gossett throws first Wind Surge no-hitter

Daniel Gossett, unlike his Double-A teammates, is working his way back up to the top. And in the four years since throwing his most recent Major League pitch, the 29-year-old has come to learn that few things in the sport are guaranteed.

But for at least one night, Gossett could seemingly do anything he wanted on the mound. He may have even been floating as his teammates hoisted him off the ground after completing the first no-hitter in Wichita Wind Surge history on Friday.

“It’s amazing,” he said after beating Tulsa, 3-0. “It’s the thing every pitcher dreams about.”

Gossett’s final line: Nine innings, three walks, 10 strikeouts -- tying a professional high -- and of course, the zero in the hits column. After the final out, he lifted his arms in unison with the season-high 7,709 fans at Riverfront Stadium before his teammates picked him up.

“This team is something special,” Gossett said. “To have them forcibly pick me up, it was one of the coolest things. The crowd was electric. … It was perfect.”

BALLGAME OVER!!! DANIEL GOSSETT THROWS THE FIRST NO-HITTER IN WIND SURGE HISTORY!!!! pic.twitter.com/ApHD5AF72p

— Wichita Wind Surge (@WindSurgeICT) August 20, 2022

The right-hander -- on a pitch count around 100 -- threw 96 pitches through eight innings and pleaded with his coaching staff to give him a chance at the milestone. "Completely gassed" in the ninth inning, Gossett issued two walks with two outs.

“I saw [manager Ramon Borrego] make a move out of the dugout, and I told him ‘One more, just give me one more,’” he said. “They pulled some strings and gave me a shot, I’m just glad I could repay that. They put their neck out for me to allow me to throw a lot of pitches.”

“A lot of pitches” may be an understatement in this day and age, especially in the Minors. It ultimately took Gossett 120 pitches to seal the deal -- a career high and the most in a Minor League no-hitter in five years -- but that number was of little importance once he got Dodgers No. 5 prospect Andy Pages swinging for the final out.

“It’s a lineup full of good hitters, so it wasn’t an easy thing to do,” he said. “I had stellar defense, plus me and [catcher] Kyle Schmidt were vibing. It was everything I had thought and dreamed it would be.

Gossett’s career has taken many twists and turns since he last threw a pitch in the Major Leagues on June 3, 2018. After pitching in parts of two seasons with the Oakland Athletics, he left that start in Seattle with elbow tightness, underwent Tommy John surgery the following month and was ultimately released before the start of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

The Clemson product spent the entirety of the 2021 season in the Red Sox organization with Triple-A Worcester and returned to the International League after signing with the Twins this past February. But after recording a 9.73 ERA with St. Paul, primarily out of the bullpen, he was sent down to Wichita, returning to Double-A for the first time in six years.

“I could kind of read the writing on the wall,” Gossett said. “I’m an older guy, having gone to Triple-A and coming back down, I can kind of understand what’s going on. I just didn’t want to feel like I gave up. I just wanted to keep giving it my all.”

Facing the reality of the 2022 season potentially being his last in the game -- “You truly don’t know when your last day playing baseball is going to be” -- Gossett is enjoying playing as much as he ever has.

“I’m having a really good time,” he said. “I feel like I spent a lot of my career super stressed about baseball and trying to provide for my family. So coming here it was like ‘let’s have a good time, let’s enjoy it.’ I really wanted to have fun with the guys, build relationships and just play the game.

“I love it here, and this game is just the icing on the cake.”