The Ithaca College baseball team has had plenty of success in recent history as it has won the last three Liberty League Championships. However, a trio of pitchers have been working in the shadows, waiting to return so they can contribute to more victories. This season, they will finally get their chance. 

Junior left-handed pitcher Reed Bailey has only pitched one inning in his collegiate career: in March 2023 when Bailey was a first-year student. He had surgery in August 2023 to repair his UCL — an injury he said can be traced all the way back to 2020. Despite persistent pain in his elbow, he said doctors kept telling him there was no damage and that he could keep pitching. Bailey, who wanted to pitch at the collegiate level, said he felt like he needed to pitch through the discomfort, especially since there was no diagnosis.

“I’m just waiting for that feeling of, ‘Oh yeah it’s paid off,’” Bailey said. “All I want to do is play, that’s why we do it, that’s why we compete.”

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Ryan Kane was one of the best pitchers in his high school class. The Massachusetts native was ranked No. 83 in the state and as the No. 33 right-handed pitcher in the high school class of 2023 rankings. 

However, similar to Bailey, Kane was having elbow pain during the latter half of his high school career. Doctors told him it was just a sprain, and Kane said he thought he would be ready to pitch for his first collegiate season. However, despite doing platelet-rich plasma treatment — a regenerative treatment that uses platelets to promote healing — Kane also needed UCL repair surgery, which he received in February 2024. 

Kane said that the last year of rehab was a tough test, but that he was able to put his injury into perspective.

“Everyone’s got their own story with getting to the point that they’re at,” Kane said. “It sucks having to actually go through the rehab process and getting the surgery, but it definitely helps you get closer with your teammates.”

Junior right-handed pitcher Sean Minnick felt the support of his teammates during a game against Vassar College on April 12, 2024. The right-hander was 1 2/3 innings into his third appearance of the season when he felt a pop in his elbow while throwing a curveball. He attempted to stay in the game but he said he felt excruciating elbow pain on the next pitch and knew something was wrong. He got surgery two months later to repair a torn UCL.

Minnick said that having teammates such as Bailey and Kane who had been through the same surgery and rehab process helped make things easier for him. 

“You got to learn what you can control at a certain point,” Minnick said. “There’s things that are out of your control like this and … you just got to move forward. Not that it helps but it definitely does make me feel a little bit better that other people have had this surgery. … It definitely gives me brothers that can help me out.”

Head coach David Valesente said that unfortunately, with the amount that pitchers throw with their high school and travel teams, elbow injuries are becoming way too common at the collegiate level. According to Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, the biggest age group that needs the surgery in the country is from ages 15-19. However, Valesente said that when any player goes down with injuries, he wants them to know that he and the other coaches are there for them on a personal and athletic level. 

“They were recruited to be on the team so we want them to feel welcome and a part of us at all times, no matter if they’re on the injured list or unable to play,” Valesente said. 

With a recovery process as long as Kane and Bailey’s, many athletes would have thrown in the towel. Bailey said there have been times when it was difficult to focus on the repetitive rehab tasks, when all he wanted to do is get back on the field. 

“The feeling of playing is unmatched for me,” Bailey said. “One of my favorite things in the world is the feeling of getting a batter out and that itch to get that feeling again has been super motivational.”

Valesente said Bailey and the other players dealing with injuries are constantly working out with the team and doing everything they can to be ready for this season. 

“[Bailey is] throwing live at this point and feeling good,” Valesente said. “He made some mechanical adjustments and is working his butt off in the offseason. So we want to see him get on the field and start competing and put those injuries and past challenges behind him.”

Kane said there were some hiccups during his return to throwing off the mound when he began incorporating his off-speed pitches. He is currently projected to be cleared to pitch in a game during mid-March.

“It’s definitely tough to not be like, ‘I could have contributed to this or I could have done this and that if I didn’t get hurt,’” Kane said. “The toughest part was seeing places where you could have contributed to, but you couldn’t because of surgery.”

Throughout the trio’s recoveries they have had the help of long-time athletic trainer Todd Lazenby. Lazenby, who declined to comment about the student-athletes because of HIPPA requirements, worked with the San Francisco 49ers from 1996-2006. 

Kane said he never felt like he was alone in his recovery while working with Lazenby.

“It always seemed like he was available to help me with treatment or doing the PT,” Kane said. “He understands the mental effects that it has on players. … [He] helped with the process and getting over the mental humps and whatnot.”

Valesente said Lazenby is a valuable resource to the program and that the coaches work in unison with Lazenby to not overwork players or put them in positions with an elevated risk of injury.

“He does a really good job at getting guys on the field in a safe and timely fashion,” Valesente said. “He’s not going to rush a player back for us to try and get wins or put any student-athletes at risk when they’re not ready to be cleared.”

With Bailey expecting to be healthy for the start of the fast approaching 2025 season, he has one goal in mind: stay healthy. He said this process tested him exponentially, but he knew he could not give up and live with the regret of not trying all possible avenues to return to the field.

“I just want to be able to pitch,” Bailey said. “That’s what I truly love. … What brought me up to Ithaca College was baseball and wanting to throw and compete for our coach and for my teammates.”