Top softball pitchers work through injury problems

Three of the premier high school softball pitchers in the United States have been sidelined with arm injuries for all or parts of the 2012 season. All three, however, remain integral parts of their high school programs and each will play at a national level next year when they enter college. All three also said they have learned and grown from the down time.

Chelsea Wilkinson of Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) is back to normal, maybe beyond normal. She holds pretty much every pitching record in North Carolina and is a three-time MaxPreps All-American and a two-time Gatorade State Softball Player of the Year, but had swelling in her fingers and hand and lost time in preparing for the 2012 spring season at Alexander Central. She has signed to play with Georgia.

Kelly Heinz of Lee-Davis (Mechanicsville, Va.) will not pitch this season, but she is getting playing time as a designated hitter. A MaxPreps All-American and Virginia's Gatorade Player of the Year in 2011, she had ulnar nerve surgery in late February. She has signed to play at Virginia Tech.

Paige McDuffee is seeing time at first base and there is a chance she could pitch in time for a playoff run as The Woodlands (Texas) goes after its second-straight Texas state title. She led the Highlanders to the mythical national championship last season and was honored as National Player of the Year. McDuffee had surgery in November and has yet to pitch in a game this spring. She has signed to play at UCLA.

McDuffee began experiencing pain last spring, but pitched through it.

"My forearm would swell to the size of a softball and I didn't have a lot of my physical stuff during the playoff run (last year)," said McDuffee. "It made me grow a lot mentally. I just had to get through innings by telling myself, 'Last pitch and you're done' ... over and over. I knew it wasn't the last pitch, but I had to keep telling myself it was."

McDuffee admitted the excruciating pain brought her to tears many times. Nonetheless, she finished the year 37-1, with 244 strikeouts in 216 innings and an ERA of 0.97. The Woodlands won not only the Texas title, but also a national title.

While the 2012 high school seasons are greatly different than they were a year ago for McDuffee and Heinz, Wilkinson just might be better than ever.

"My fingers swelled up so much I couldn't bend them," said Wilkinson, who guided Alexander Central to state titles in 2009 and 2011. "We saw several doctors and had different results."

One said it was blood flow. Two said it was elbow related. All recommended rest.

Wilkinson missed the first six games of the 2012 season and her senior year was in jeopardy when one doctor - a former Alexander Central player - suggested it might be the way she was gripping the ball.

"So, I changed my grip and everything has been good since," said Wilkinson.

"Good" would be a major understatement. Since her return, she has averaged 15 strikeouts per game and has allowed one earned run.

"She has taken her game to a new level," said coach Monte Sherrill. "I mean, she has just elevated everything she does. We weren't sure we would have her this season and now it's just crazy. She has taken everything to a new level. I mean, she was already dominant, but now she can throw it by you or fool you."

Since her return, Wilkinson has12 shutouts (in 15 games) and six no-hitters. In her career, she has 104 wins, 76 shutouts and 20 no-hitters. She has nearly 1,300 strikeouts.

"I never worried about my college career," said Wilkinson. "The doctors said ‘Rest,' so I knew it would be okay. But I felt horrible about letting my team down and not being able to play. Now that I'm back, I don't want to just win, I now don't want anyone to score. I don't want anyone to get a hit."

Since her return, she has allowed just 19 hits in 92 innings, or one hit every four innings.

"I figure if they don't score, we will always win," said Wilkinson.

Eight weeks ago, however, Wilkinson wasn't sure she would get that chance. According to Sherill, while sidelined she was like a "thoroughbred in the stable, Chelsea wanted out. She takes it personal. Wants to represent us, represent her family. While hurt, she felt like she let the team down."

Sherrill said she has returned throwing a softball like a "whiffle ball. The movement is just crazy. She's a like a PAC-(12) pitcher with her rise ball. There's no one like her in these parts."

For Heinz, it's been a different story. She will not pitch this spring or summer. She will, however, be 100 percent for her freshman year at Virginia Tech. After pitching in a game last October, Heinz was bruised from her lower forearm up to her shoulder. After taking a few weeks off, she started throwing again and noticed something was popping on and off the bone.

"At first, the doctors tested for a ligament being torn," she said. "We eventually found out it was my nerve. It was causing me a lot of pain ... losing feeling in my ring finger and pinky. I couldn't hold the ball correctly. Or pitch."

Surgery was a little more than seven weeks ago, but she reports rehabbing is on schedule.

Heinz had her season opener April 20 and contributed to her team's win with a double and a single on April 24. She drove in two runs in her second game back. "It's nice to be part of the game in some sort of way," said Heinz, who was the designated hitter for Monday's game.

Heinz threw a pitching workout Monday and will have another next week or the week after.

"It's a very gradual rehab," said Heinz. "Honestly, I have no idea as to when I will be able to open up. It's a matter of how I feel. Maybe toward the end of summer."

In 2011, Heinz threw a no-hitter in the region tournament semifinals, a perfect game in the final, struck out 292 and posted a 0.09 ERA. She also hit .455 and drove in 26 runs. Though the injury has created worries, she said the surgery was successful, noting that the ulnar nerve was moved from the bottom of the elbow to the top.

"There was talk about Tommy John Surgery (which requires about a 12-month rehabilitation), I never lost hope," said Heinz.

While she is known for her 68-69 mph pitching, Heinz is also a feared hitter. Tech recruited her to pitch and hit.

"She has helped our pitchers a ton," said coach Jackie Davis. "She's trying to rehabilitate herself, but she's still a strong part of the team. When not pitching, she usually plays third. Now she will be our designated player and just hit. Her hitting is overshadowed by her pitching, but she is a phenomenal hitter."

McDuffee's rehab is gradual as well. And so much better than being in daily pain.

"I won't lie, it's been really tough," said McDuffee. "But I'm working through it and have been able to work a lot with the young pitchers. It's been helping me with the little things of pitching and teaching them helps reminds me what I need to do when I can."

McDuffee estimates she was at about 60 percent for the 2011 state playoff run, but said it was worth it. "Nothing like the awesome feeling of being state champions, then national champions. I just rode the adrenaline."

But by fall, McDuffee could barely throw. She visited several doctors and they all said to rest. She tried deep tissue massage and that would work for about a week, then the pain would return.

"Finally, I saw (Dr.) Sherry Werner (of the Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine) and she thought I had the same thing the Baylor pitcher (Whitney Canion) had, so she hooked me up with the Texas Rangers team surgeon, Keith Miester."

On Nov. 21, Miester operated to relieve the compartmental pressure in her forearm, which had been diagnosed as a stress fracture. He peeled the muscle back away from the bone to relieve the pressure. It was successful.

As a result, McDuffee began throwing overhand - lightly - Feb. 21. When cleared to play but not pitch, she moved into the lineup at first base and is hitting just under .400 and averaging better than an RBI per contest for her dozen games. She bats fifth.

"Everyone talks about how great her pitching was, but offensively she was second on team in RBIs," said coach Richard Jorgensen. "Clutch hitting is her specialty. We miss the pitching, but not having her hurt us offensively. Just her presence on the field has helped us. We've gone unbeaten since she has returned to the lineup."

McDuffee began her underhand pitching routine March 21. There are 14 steps in her rehab. She is in step one, which is a total of 30 pitches at 75 percent effort. She throws 15, takes a break, then throws 15 more. She expects to move to step two any day.

She is pain free.

Lisa Fernandez, UCLA assistant coach and former Olympian, offered advice to players recovering from injuries, noting "focus on what you can do and not what you can't do."

Fernandez, arguably one of the best pitchers in the history of women's softball, said "Stay the course on rehabbing. Follow the program and do not rush it."

Injured a few times in her career, Fernandez said the key question is "do you want to be good now or great later?"

She emphasizes to always visualize the positive.

"Everyone has been supportive," said McDuffee. "The staff at UCLA tells me to go slow with my rehab, but they keep reminding me to be happy. They want to know that I am doing well emotionally and staying positive."

McDuffee says she plans to play for the Impact Gold out of Texas this summer, then head to UCLA.

"She has a big career ahead of her," said Jorgensen. "She is so mentally strong and so passionate about the game. She will come back better and stronger."

That said, Jorgensen predicted "sometime toward the end of district, we'll see her in the circle."

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