About 1.8 million high school students take the ACT every year, and roughly 1,000 of them record a perfect score of 36.

Dan O'Reilly, a senior-to-be at Henry Sibley High was one of those 1,000.

"I was hoping I would be more known for that," O'Reilly said with a laugh Thursday morning.

Instead, O'Reilly learned this week that when it comes to fame, sometimes your 15 minutes come via pains instead of brains.

Playing with the section baseball title on the line Monday against South St. Paul with his team ahead 20-1, O'Reilly was up to bat in the fifth inning. He swung at a 1-2 pitch and fouled it directly — no bounce, nothing — into a very delicate area.

"I have never done that before and I don't think I ever will," he said.

His reaction was priceless. And the game was being streamed.

Next thing you know, the video went viral — and O'Reilly was "internet famous."

Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.