One pitch caused Harding Academy’s Trent Finley to change the way he approached baseball.
Finley was on the mound against Mayflower in the opening round of a 2012 Class 3A regional, and the 6-2 left hander struck out the first two batters. But while facing the third man in the lineup, Finley felt a “pop” in his elbow.
“Everything was going great,” Finley said. “It was probably the best I’ve ever felt on the mound. I threw a fastball. I felt my arm pop. I thought it was a normal type of pop, but I threw again and the pain was ridiculous.”
Finley called for the trainer, but he did not need any medical personnel for a diagnosis. Three weeks later, Finley underwent surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament, a procedure better known as Tommy John surgery.
“The semester before [the injury] I was in a class with our trainer and I asked him about what Tommy John [surgery] was because a lot of major-league players were getting it,” Finley said. “I had learned what you feel when you need it. As soon as I threw that pitch, I knew what had happened.”
Finley’s season was over and his team was eliminated from postseason play after only one game.
Eleven months later, Finley and his teammates enjoyed a much more enjoyable end to their season. But Finley’s arm had almost nothing to do with the Wildcats’ success. His bat, however, more than made up for his lack of appearances on the mound. Harding Academy captured the Class 3A state title and Finley led the state with 14 home runs, including one in the final at-bat of his high school career.
Finley not only hit for power, but he posted a .490 batting average, 15 doubles and an astounding 61 RBI. Finley’s efforts earned him the honor of being named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Mr. Baseball for 2013.
Until his injury, Finley was going to ride his left arm to a college career. Finley was the ace of the Wildcats’ staff during his junior year, leading the team in innings pitched, strikeouts and earned run average. His hitting was better than average, but his pitching seemed to be his baseball future.
“Trent was our cleanup hitter last year,” Harding Academy Coach Shane Fullerton said. “He hit about .375. He only had one home run, but he was good hitter.”
Just not a hitter with outstanding numbers on his resume.
For the 10 days following his surgery, Finley was forced to do little more than sit on the couch. He was not used to the inactivity.
“I couldn’t take a shower for 11 days and that was absolutely brutal,” Finley said. “My parents were having to wash my hair in the sink.”
Immediately after the doctors removed his cast and took out his stitches, Finley began the slow process of physical therapy. His original prognosis had him returning to normal in 18 months, which is the average for someone who undergoes Tommy John surgery.
Finley did not turn out to be average.
“He worked himself back to where he was pitching in 10 months and in a safe way,” Fullerton said. “I’d like to think we’re real careful with our guys. … Trent pushed himself to where he got his entire body in shape so he could do what he wanted to do on the mound and on the field. I think that made him an extremely good hitter.”
Although he was working hard to return to make his return to baseball, Finley said he had plenty of reasons to think we would not be back for his high school’s senior season.
“I remember thinking and preparing myself to not even play this season, but I was determined to be able to play,” Finley said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to pitch very much, if I got to play. I told myself if I wasn’t going to beable to pitch, I’ve got to be able to help out the team in some way. That’s when I decided I was going to be the best hitter, I was going to be and the best first baseman, I was going to be. I got out to the [batting] cage every day and worked on the field at first base. I did everything I could to put myself into a situation to be the best I could be. It paid off.”
“Trent had to face some doubts daily,” Fullerton said. “His representation of his physical therapy is very modest. He worked his butt off. He did more than anybody I’ve ever been around. … He did more on his own to overcome those obstacles.”
Finley even found his way back to the mound, if only for few brief innings. He struck out 25 and walked 5 in 15 1/3 innings. His ERA was 0.91.
“I got 16 innings on the mound this year and last year I had 60,” Finley said. “That was different, obviously, but things are starting to get back to normal. Everything I do, I still have to think about my arm. … Even when I’m doing stuff with my friends I start to think ‘Is this safe for me?’ because I don’t want to hurt my arm again.
“I’ve been blessed to have had no pain, other than the normal soreness after throwing.”
Finley will continue his baseball career at Harding University, where he will work to continue to get back on the mound on a full-time basis.
“He found out he could become a very good hitter, but I think the biggest thing he found was true confidence,” Fullerton said. “He was a confident kid to begin with, but when you overcome the obstacles he had to face, an 0-for-3 day is not going to send you into a tailspin or a slump.
“You just grab the bat again and say ‘bring it’ again.”Trent Finley glance CLASS Senior SCHOOL Harding Academy POSITION First base, pitcher HEIGHT 6-2 BATS/THROWS Left/Left NOTEWORTHY Batted .490 with 14 home runs, 15 doubles and 61 RBI. … Signed with Harding University and plans to major in business. … Son of Scott and Cheryl Finley. He has one brother Ty (22) and one sister Tara (16). … Born Oct.
15, 1994.
Sports, Pages 30 on 06/09/2013