Petkovsek attended the
University of Texas, where he threw a seven-inning no-hitter in March 1987. In 1985 and 1986, Petkovsek played
collegiate summer baseball for the
Chatham A's of the
Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). He compiled a 14–4 mark in the two seasons with Chatham, and in 2016 was inducted into the
CCBL Hall of Fame. Petkovsek was a first-round pick of the Rangers in 1987, and in 1991, he made his major-league debut with the club, pitching 4 innings and taking the loss against the
New York Yankees. The Rangers granted him his free agency following the year, and he signed with Pittsburgh for 1992. He spent the year at AAA
Buffalo, where he co-aced for the club with
Tim Wakefield. After Petkovsek appeared in 23 games for Pittsburgh in 1993, the Pirates let Petkovsek walk, and the right-hander signed with the
Astros for 1994. They assigned him to AAA
Tucson out of
spring training, and he spent the entire year there. On May 16, 1994, Petkovsek threw the first nine-inning no-hitter in Tucson franchise history, beating the
Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 5–0, in his only
complete game of the year. For his effort, Petkovsek was named
PCL Pitcher of the Week. As had the Rangers and Pirates before them, the Astros granted Petkovsek his free agency after the 1994 season, and he found a home in the Cardinals organization, pitching at both AAA
Louisville and for the major-league team in 1995. His 21 major league starts that year were a career high. He helped the Cardinals win the 1996
National League Central division title, winning 11 times against only two defeats as a
swingman. The 11 wins he had for St. Louis were a career high, regardless of professional level. ==Sources==