WESTBROOK – After suffering a tear in his elbow that required Tommy John surgery, Westbrook’s Scott Heath has made a full recovery and is a standout performer with the University of Maine baseball team.

But for a pitcher who as late as a year ago looked like a sure thing – reflected by his stellar senior-season stat line (5-0, 0.00 ERA, 11 hits, 13 walks and 41 strikeouts) – the last nine months have been full of questions.

Heath’s performance on the hill and at the plate last year (.378 BA, 1 HR, 18 RBI) earned him the honor of being selected as the Gatorade Player of the Year in Maine.

In the same week he was made aware of the honor; however, the seemingly superhuman lefty felt a pain in his arm while pitching against the Cheverus Stags.

For football players, the phrase that scares so many is “torn ACL.” For pitchers “a possible tear in the UCL” is just as terrifying. After being pulled from his final regular season start as a pitcher, Heath was informed that he had a slight tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, one that would require Tommy John surgery.

While Tommy John surgery has become a typical procedure for pitchers, with a high recovery rate, the possibility of not returning to full strength always lingers.

“I was devastated to begin with,” Heath said last week. “It came towards the end of my high school season, therefore, I knew I wouldn’t be able to pitch in the playoffs.”

Speaking like a true competitor, Heath did not focus on the possibility of not returning to form. He remained positive and looked toward the future.

“As for not being able to pitch again, I wasn’t trying to think of that,” said Heath. “I knew it was common for pitchers and I knew with hard work you can accomplish getting back to 100 percent.”

Fast forward nine months.

Heath, a freshman at University of Maine, is now playing a key role for the Black Bears.

Heath has started 23 of the Black Bears’ 34 games and boasts a .333 batting average, good for second best on the team, while playing in the outfield.

When asked if he could have envisioned this a year ago, Heath said yes and no.

“I know I’ve worked hard on my swing over the past year and I feel like I am capable of hitting [Division 1] pitching,” he said. “The results are great so far as I’ve earned a spot in the lineup, but things can change just like that.”

Despite the tremendous work Heath has put in, he admits that his recovery was not a solo effort. Heath was surrounded with a support group that helped him not only physically but mentally as well.

“My parents and brother have supported me no matter what and they were always helping me mentally by keeping me on top of my exercises, making sure I was doing the right things to get back my arm strength,” he said. “Also, my friends have been tremendous along with the doctors.”

Since starting at UMaine, Heath has not had the luxury of being surrounded constantly by the support that played such an intricate part in his recovery. Instead, Heath, like all college freshman, has had to make the transition to being on his own.

“School is a lot different and everything you do is on your own so you have to grow up fast,” he said. “Baseball-wise, the speed of the game is a lot faster.”

Still, Heath has handled the transition and appears primed to become a star at UMaine throughout his college career.

And while Heath has yet to pitch for the Black Bears, he says that his arm feels great.

“I expect to be on the mound sometime in May,” he said. “May would be 10 months and my hard work is paying off. My arms feels great and hopefully I’ll be able to help the team win with my bat and my arm.”

Scott Heath