Junior Jack Henry Palazzo, pitcher for the Morgan baseball team, has been a pitcher since he was 5 years old. He has spent countless hours training, working out, and getting lessons, all to try and become the best he could be. That hard work paid off for Palazzo; the older he got, the more success he found. That was until early May of this year, when he found out his UCL was partially torn, ending his junior season.

Before the injury, Palazzo had been invited to multiple college showcases, such as Penn State. He also played in the PBR (Prep Baseball Report) Future Games, which has allowed him to play in high competition games in front of college baseball scouts and some MLB scouts.

Then the pain came. Palazzo was struggling with arm pain at the start of this season and didn’t start a game until the first of May, which was against Valley. After that game, his pain was intense enough for him to go for an MRI, which he got in the days that followed. About a week later, the results came back confirming the injury. “I knew then that the next 9 months had to be about me preparing myself to come back better,” said Palazzo

Palazzo has tried his best to keep his mind off the injury, trying to go about his day as normally as he can without using his right arm. While Palazzo is unable to play in games, he has not taken a break from the team. You can see him feeding the ball machine or placing a ball on a tee to help practice run more smoothly. “Since I have been injured, I have tried to be the best teammate that I can and show my support to those who support me.” He has done this by continuing to be a leader in the dugout and giving advice to other pitchers.

Comradery within his team has been a big support system for him, as it happened in the middle of his junior season, Palazzo said, “everyone has had my back and has made sure that I don’t feel alone,” noted Palazzo. Still it has been a frustrating experience for Palazzo. “The hardest part is watching and not being able to play with my best friends.” Palazzo has a long way to go with a 6-9 month recovery ahead of him but is looking to be back for next year.

Palazzo is not alone in the recovery process. Senior Zach Viens is a 3-sport athlete for all four high school years, playing hockey, soccer, and baseball. Despite the fact that Viens has always tried to keep his body healthy throughout the whole year, Viens broke his collarbone in a game against West Haven after he collided with another player. He wasn’t able to play for 8 weeks, which ended his regular season earlier than he anticipated. “I felt lost, all the work I put in seemed to be for nothing,” said Viens. For him specifically, “It hurt me even more knowing it was on my throwing arm side, it made me lose throwing velocity, and I felt like I had less power while I was hitting,” said Viens.

That is where the story improves. Now, a year since the injury, he is fully recovered and playing his senior season. Viens said, he “took the time [he] needed to recover, and I feel like I am playing at a higher level than I was before.”

Viens dedicates his life to sports, so any injury like the one he experienced can not only affect his past but upcoming seasons. He is attending Albertus Magnus College where he will continue to play baseball. “While I hope I don’t have to go through [being hurt] again, I know from experience that I have people who want the best for me and will support me through it.”