East Peoria High School pitcher RJ Duncheon is already turning heads on the mound, but it's his arm at a Chicago White Sox game that's making national headlines. The Illinois State University commit, who recently tossed a complete-game 12-strikeout victory, showed off his blazing fastball in a fan pitching booth at Rate Field during a White Sox game against the Mariners on May 9.
Duncheon stepped up to the radar gun and fired a 97 mph pitch, which the White Sox quickly declared a record for the fastest pitch ever thrown by a fan at the ballpark. But he wasn't done. Without his coaches' knowledge, Duncheon returned to the booth and topped himself, unleashing a 98 mph heater to set a new mark. His coaches later found out—and couldn't help but share the video on social media, noting that despite the unsanctioned encore, Duncheon still delivered a dominant complete game the following Monday.
The senior has been electric this season, posting a 6-1 record with a microscopic 1.29 ERA through May 13. He's struck out 89 batters in just 43⅓ innings while holding opponents to a paltry .130 batting average. With performances like these—both on the high school diamond and in a fan-friendly pitching booth—Duncheon is proving his arm belongs in the big leagues someday.
