His pre-game warm-up was just like any other game: getting loose, preparing to pitch and gearing up for one of the biggest games of the season: the sectional championship. But for then junior, Peyton Phoenix, one inning would change it all.
Phoenix stepped onto the mound, but unlike in previous games, his elbow was in intense pain. Putting that aside, he went to throw anyway. After three quick outs, he knew he couldn’t finish the game.
“It was my last throw, my warm-up, and it popped,” Phoenix said. “So I was assuming that it was a normal pop. I went back into the field to throw, and I could not throw a ball at 50% without insane pain.”
Following a critical injury, Phoenix will be unable to pitch for his senior season. However, he is continuing to grow in other ways off the field, preparing him and his team for the future.
After last year’s sectional game, Phoenix stayed off his feet, resting and taking time off for his elbow.
Once the doctor’s orders were met, Phoenix started a throwing program provided by his doctor.
Everything was looking promising until a similar scenario occurred again during the last week of the throwing program.
“On the last week, it was my first day throwing 100% the whole time, and (then) it popped again,” Phoenix said.Following the second pop, Phoenix knew there was only one thing to do. In the time span of three months, he would receive two career-altering surgeries.
The first surgery, an Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) reconstruction, was performed last November. The goal of this surgery was to stabilize the elbow and reduce pain.
The second surgery followed in February after the first surgery’s recovery wasn’t going as planned. This surgery would remove tight tissue around the ulnar nerve in his elbow to help him bend his elbow and move his fingers.

Even though Phoenix is unable to practice, he is still at every practice he can be,.
“He’s still here being a leader (and) still here offering his advice and his direction for what he thinks a senior leader should do,” head baseball coach Brendan Dudas said. “That’s what a Southport baseball player does.”
Dudas says he is incredibly proud of how Phoenix has reacted to such devastating news, and he hates to see him going through a difficult situation.
Throughout the negativity, Phoenix says there is a possibility that by the end of the season, he may be able to hit for the team.

“The hope (was) that I could be able to hit throughout the season…,” Phoenix said. “But then, I had to get a second surgery to fully recover, and that made it to where I will not be able to hit until the end of the season.”
Right at Phoenix’s side is his family.
Phoenix’s mother Brandi and his sister Hayli say this season will be hard not seeing Phoenix pitch during his senior year.
“It is sad that you’ll never see him pitch with a Cards uniform anymore,” Hayli said.
While the future for Phoenix is still uncertain, he is working towards playing at the next level and wants to get back to strength.
As the season progresses, the goal is to get his arm back in full motion so he can return to baseball.
After high school, Phoenix wants to walk on at Parkland College, a Division II school in Champaign, Ill., and play baseball there.
“I feel like I did everything that I could in the moment to prevent this,” Phoenix said. “It was just inevitable.”