PEORIA — East Peoria High School pitcher RJ Duncheon tossed a complete-game, 12-strikeout victory on the field Monday, May 11.
But it’s two pitches he threw at a Chicago White Sox game that has gathered major-league attention for the Illinois State University commit.
Duncheon and the East Peoria High School team attended the May 9 White Sox game against the Mariners in Rate Field when he spotted a radar gun in a pitching booth set up for fans in the concourse.
Of course, he had to try it.
He fired a pitch that registered at 97 mph and was declared by the White Sox as a record for fastest pitch thrown by a fan there.
“I see this pitching machine setup, and everyone wanted me to throw,” Duncheon said. “Someone paid for my chances, and I kind of threw easy for the first one or two. But then I let it go pretty good and it was 97 mph. We went back to our seats and showed coach (Matt Plummer) the video, and he said, ‘Hey cool, but you gotta pitch Monday so don’t be doing dumb stuff.’ “
Duncheon wasn’t done. Without his coaches knowing, he showed up at the pitching booth again and beat his own record, throwing a pitch 98 mph.
Both record pitches have appeared on video on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. They produced about 400,000 views in the first five hours online.
Duncheon, a senior at East Peoria, is 6-1 with a 1.29 ERA as of May 13. He has struck out 89 in 43⅓ innings and limited opponents to a .130 batting average.
The East Peoria team was in the Chicago area on May 9 because it played Barrington High School earlier that day. After that prep game, the team got lunch and decided to go to the White Sox game against the Mariners.
Duncheon sits 90-93 with his fastball in games, and touches 95. Scouts have caught him as high as 96. So hitting 97 was exciting at the White Sox game.
So of course he went back later in the game and beat his own record, firing a pitch 98 mph.
“People told me to go do it again,” Duncheon said, laughing. “They give you an inflatable bat as a prize. I gave that to a kid. I kind of think it’s all kind of crazy. I didn’t expect it to blow up on social media, I think it’s over 400,000 views now.
“But I probably won’t try it again.”
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star senior writer and sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: East Peoria pitcher throws fastest pitch ever by a fan at White Sox game
Reporting by Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
