It was Mike Devine's final chance to represent Springdale High School on the baseball diamond, and he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity for anything.

Two Sundays ago, Devine stood on the mound at the Burkett Complex in Robinson Township mowing down hitter after hitter as the starting pitcher for the Class A All-Stars in a game sponsored by West Penn Baseball Prospects.

In all, Devine faced 11 batters, fanning seven of them, en route to being named the game's most outstanding pitcher.

But then, as speedily as the fastball he had used to dominate his Class AA foes, Devine abruptly bolted from not only the game, but the complex itself to attend another important event he was already two hours late for -- his own graduation party.

The day-long celebration served as the perfect sendoff for Devine. A four-year starter, Devine did a lot of celebrating in a career that saw him lead the Dynamos to three section championships and a WPIAL title, all while earning himself praise as one of the top all-around talents in the WPIAL, regardless of class.

Whether it was on the mound or at the plate, Devine seemed to have a profound effect on the game just about every time he walked onto the field.

"Mike is one of those kids who, whenever he gets on the field, he competes," Springdale coach Dan Pschirer said. "He's played with the best and has hung in there with the best. And he knows what's it's like to be the best."

Devine has used his immense pitching skill to best his opponents most frequently.

He finished 6-1 this season, striking out 57 in 39¹/₃ innings. His ability to keep hitters off balance using different points of release left opponents scratching their heads regularly.

On one pitch he would come from a three-quarters release and make them look foolish with a slider. On the next he'd blow past them with an over-the-top fastball. And when they think they've seen it all, he'd come with a sidearm changeup for strike three.

Offensively, Devine was just as effective, batting .475 and finishing third in the WPIAL with 37 RBIs. Pschirer said almost every ball Devine connected on was well hit, and that he struck out only six or seven teams all season.

A great indicator of Devine's well-rounded game is this: He hit for the cycle in one game and tossed a no-hitter in another this season. He recorded the cycle against Elderton, when he went 4 for 4 with four RBIs and four runs.

The no-hitter came against section co-champion Serra Catholic, a major surprise because Devine said he didn't have anything close to his best stuff, hitting six batters and walking three.

"When a [pitcher] hits six guys, he's usually not going to be in there the whole game," Devine said. "But I was able to work through it."

Once the season concluded, the accolades came at Devine in droves. Among the highlights was being named Class A Player of the Year by the WPIAL Baseball Coaches Association and his selection to the Post-Gazette's All-Area team. He said he set out to achieve both honors this year.

It also made Devine and others even further believe he should be mentioned in the same sentence as the WPIALs elite pitchers.

"To put him on the list with [Seneca Valley's] Cory Mazzoni and [West Allegheny's] Zak Sinclair ... that says a lot," Pschirer said of Devine, who has played fall ball for the Allegheny Pirates with Mazzoni and West Allegheny's Derrik Zeroski.

Next up for Devine is a college career at VMI, which he chose over Duquesne and Rider. Devine said he was recruited as a two-way player, and could possibly pitch, play shortstop or the outfield.

"I'll pretty much play anywhere if I can get a spot in the lineup," he said.

As Devine has already proved with his versatility, odds are he'll find that spot quickly.