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Louis Steen, a junior center fielder for the Tigers, dives for the ball in last Saturday’s match-up against Southern Nazarene University. Steen suffered a torn UCL over the summer. (photo by Wesley Kluck)
Steen recovers from torn UCL to play junior season BY MITCHELL EMRICH Staff Writer
One word comes to mind when talking about junior center fielder Louis Steen: passionate. The Southaven, Mississippi native has been through so much over the last year, but his passion for baseball has not withered. Steen had high hopes for the 2020 baseball season, but a turn of events last summer threw that into question. This past summer Steen, along with three of his teammates, played in a summer league in South Carolina. The summer’s schedule was packed, with the team playing eight or nine games a week. Steen’s team ran out of pitchers one day toward the end of the summer and called on him to take the mound.
Everything felt fine as Steen warmed up, but that quickly changed. A shock started in Steen’s fingers and ran up his arm as he released his fourth pitch of the inning. His hand and arm were numb, but he shook it off and finished the inning. Steen had never dealt with any arm problems in the past, but he knew something was really wrong. A few days later, Steen visited the doctor and got the news that he had torn his UCL in his elbow. Then the doctor said two of the most dreaded words in baseball: Tommy John’s. The surgery to repair a torn UCL is a common one, but that doesn’t make the recovery any easier. “When he said Tommy John’s, my gut just fell,” Steen said. “I
thought, is he serious? I have to get my elbow cut open?” After his surgery in July, Steen started rehab for his elbow. Sometimes, Steen couldn’t move or even feel his arm from nerve damage. The physical therapist would have to take his arm out of the brace and do everything for him. When he found out he didn’t have to wear the brace anymore, Steen was encouraged, but he still had absolutely no strength in his arm. Therefore, he carried on with physical therapy, working toward being able to throw a baseball. Doctors told him it would be a tall task and he would have to learn how to throw all over again. Steen didn’t believe them, but soon found that they were right. “It really is like you’re throwing
a baseball again for the first time ever,” Steen said. “I had no feel for my arm. The first time I threw a baseball, I threw it five feet in front of me into the ground.” Doubts were prevalent in Steen’s mind during the long months leading up to the 2020 season, but he had lots of people encouraging him. “The support I’ve had from my friends and coaches has just been insane,” Steen said. “If I didn’t have the coaches that I have here at Ouachita, it would have been hard for me to come back.” One week before the season-opening series, Steen was cleared to play. Throws from center field can reach up to 250 feet, and Steen didn’t know if he would be able to make that throw. He
hadn’t thrown as much from long distances as he would have liked, but he played in the game anyway. “I was a little nervous because the farthest I had thrown on my protocol was 180 feet,” said Steen. Luckily, his first game back went smoothly. It was an amazing feeling being back out on the field, especially with the uncertainty of Steen coming back from his injury. Steen has started in every game this season, and for him, that’s one of the best possible outcomes he could have hoped for. He may still have a few more months until he’s 100%, but after getting through that first game, Steen was just glad to be back. “To be out on the field doing what I love with the guys I love was one of the best feelings ever.”
