Fresh off his collegiate playing career, coaching a Charlotte-based traveling team in Cary, N.C., he was asked to serve as an "extra arm" for the USA Trials squad in July 2010. Up to 40 scouts saw him throw a baseball. And two days later, he was a Minor Leaguer.

"Right place," Schumer said. "Right time."

If his season debut Sunday afternoon carries any weight, San Francisco's brass will feel the same way. The Giants farmhand tossed six no-hit innings as Class A Advanced San Jose rolled past Modesto, 8-0.

Schumer's sparkling outing got off to an inauspicious start. The 23-year-old right-hander plunked the second batter he faced, Brett Tanos, then committed a throwing error trying pick Tanos off of first base.

After a second fielding error by third baseman Adam Duvall and a wild pitch in the next inning, Schumer went on to retire 13 straight batters.

"That was first-start nerves," he said. "Right as I settled down, starting in the second, everything seemed to click; it was smooth sailing.

"I had my sinker going, pitching to contact and the guys were unbelievable behind me," added Schumer, who said his sinker ranged between 91 and 94 mph. "Real easy to pitch when you have shortstop [Joe Panik] behind you. ... Scott Robinson hit a liner in the [sixth] inning and Panik, it looked like he was jumping four feet off the ground."

Panik, the Giants' No. 7 prospect, had less success at the plate, going 0-for-5.

Schumer (1-0), a native of Houston, Texas, played the infield at University of North Carolina-Asheville and did not take pitching seriously until his senior season. In 2011, his first full season, he went 6-5 with a 4.66 ERA in 26 outings -- 14 of them starts -- between Class A Augusta and Double-A Richmond.

He is still very much a work in progress, though. Schumer said pitching coach Steve Kline more than fine-tuned his mechanics. "The plan right now is to be a full-time starter," Schumer said. "Now that I have a full year under my belt, I have a lot more confidence going into 2012.

"Definitely, it is, right at the top," Schumer said of where his latest start ranked so far in his career. "Hopefully we'll have a few more of these."

The Giants scored runs in five different innings for their starter. No. 9 hitter Bobby Haney led the way with a 4-for-4 day at the plate.

Haney doubled twice against Modesto starter Christian Bergman (0-1), who yielded five runs on four hits and three walks over four innings.