Nothing will ever prepare you for the moment in which you are standing on the mound with a 1-2 count in the biggest game of your college baseball career. June 6, 2024 in East Lake, Ohio I was the closing pitcher in the NCAA Division III College Baseball Championship Final for the Misericordia University Cougars. The odds that I could ever get to this moment were slim to none until I met Dr. Christopher Ahmad. My love for the game of baseball started at a very early age, with playing catch in my front yard with my father, and then turning into playing on a multitude of travel teams until reaching high school. In 2020, when the world came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so did my love for the game. When the world started opening up, I had the privilege to try-out for a walk-on spot on the Misericordia University Baseball Team, where I would develop and play for the next four years. Upon entering my third season in 2023, I felt as if I had been making tremendous strides to become the pitcher that I had been reaching towards, until March came around.

Over the course of two game appearances, I developed a pain in my left elbow, which at the time I did not realize was a tear in my UCL. This pain became a major battle to overcome, and I was faced with a difficult decision of choosing to focus on my career in medicine, as I was a nursing major, or continue to follow my dream and my love for the game of baseball. During this time, my long standing physical therapist Brandon Tunis introduced me to the greatest doctor and surgeon I have ever had the privilege of meeting, Dr. Christopher Ahmad. I first visited him in March of 2023, where he approached me with such professionalism and confidence that I felt as though I would be able to return to the mound in better condition than I was previously playing at. He took the time to carefully weigh my options. Which at the time meant that it was unsure if I needed a full UCL reconstruction or the internal brace repair procedure, but also whether or not I would be able to finish out the winning season my team had been tirelessly working toward. Dr. Ahmad embodied the surgeon everyone hopes to have being so kind, respectful, and confident in his skills.

I was able to finish out the season with my team which at the time was the best season that they had played competing in the NCAA Division III College Championship Series. On June 16, 2023 one week after my baseball season ended, it was time for surgery. I was warmly welcomed at the surgery center, and when I was brought back to the pre-op area, Dr. Ahmad sat with me and discussed my possible options again. I ultimately trusted his clinical judgment to make the best decision to perform the surgery that he believed would best for me and my goal of getting back on the field. Dr. Ahmad determined that the internal brace repair procedure was the very best option. The surgery went without a hitch, and my post surgical recovery was uncomplicated. It was now time to start the rehabilitation process, which was designed by Dr. Ahmad and athletic trainer, Frank Alexander. The rehab program was designed to allow me the best opportunity to return to the field and rebuild confidence in my abilities. One of my biggest fears throughout this process was returning to the field and not being able to pitch at the same caliber that I was previously playing at, but I had so much confidence in the team that I was working with and that instilled confidence within myself. I followed the rehab program word for word and never missed a day which allowed for me to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Starting the rehabilitation program was intimidating, but it was extremely structured. Again, I followed each step word for word with the help of the best physical therapist Brandon Tunis. We built a structured program of when we would meet and what goals that we would accomplish that day. January 2024, I was able to return to the mound in practice. I experienced the typical soreness and muscle tightness, but with the continued confidence of my stellar medical team, I continued to improve and feel better each day. The rehab process was daunting and grueling, but the attention to detail is what brought me my greatest success. The NCAA Division III baseball season started in mid-February of 2024, and I was not cleared to play until two weeks after the season started. This ignited a desire to get back on the field as soon as I possibly could. After speaking to Dr. Ahmad and his team, alongside my physical therapist, I was able to retake the mound in competition the first week of March. I had the notion that my first outing after surgery would be perfect, but I found that there were still many more steps of the journey left to take. I was forced to reset and continue working hard on the craft of pitching and continue to trust the work I put in during the rehab process. After that I was able to have the best season of my career. I was able to attain a stat line of a 1.24 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP alongside a 0.186 batting average against, across 43.2 innings in 20 appearances. Our team was also able to return to the Division III College World Series and win the 2024 NCAA National Championship, with me as the closing pitcher that threw the last strike to win the series.

I will be forever grateful to my ace team of Dr. Ahmad, Frank Alexander, and Brandon Tunis for guiding me through the most challenging time in my baseball career. This has allowed me to continue to play another year at the University of Virginia where I look to continue to compete every day on the baseball field. This journey has been life altering for the better because it has instilled the confidence that hard work will always pay off. I can never thank Dr. Ahmad enough for his care, and I feel blessed for the opportunity to continue to play at the highest level.