BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer
PISCATAWAY — Brick’s Steve Healing is living up to his name as he continues his determined comeback from Tommy John surgery on his right (throwing) elbow to pitch for Rutgers University’s baseball team.
"I think I’m about 90 percent," said Healing after the nationally regarded Scarlet Knights opened their season last weekend against William & Mary.
"I’m throwing pretty hard and my curveball is back, and I’ll throw harder as the season goes on The fastball is getting back to where it was in high school."
Healing was throwing indoors the past few weeks on a plastic mound on a schedule that called for 15 pitches an inning to hitters for 60 to 75 pitches at a time in the bubble or the Louis Brown Rutgers Athletic Center, or even a little outdoors in the parking lot.
But he couldn’t be more eager to be throwing and playing on dirt.
"I’m excited as hell," he said. "Last spring I was sitting in the locker room with the buses leaving, and it was not fun. I’m happy to be here.
"Twenty-one months after surgery, I’m pretty much where I’m supposed to be."
And the odds were not favorable that Healing would return this soon from the complicated surgery he had in late July 2002, or at all.
Healing said the injury that first happened in the spring of his senior year at Brick Memorial after he had committed to a partial scholarship to Rutgers was not one traumatic experience, but the gradual deterioration of the tendon around his forearm that snapped in half. He’d feel an excruciating twinge when he would throw. Because he did not have the tendon in his forearm that most people have that would have replaced the ruptured tendon, he had a part of his hamstring used for it instead.
But Healing did some throwing last summer before gearing down in the fall and winter.
"It’s definitely fundamentals now more than anything," he said.
"Physically, I’m fine. It’s all mental now."
Rutgers coach Fred Hill agrees that Healing is "maybe 85-90 percent back."
"He’s throwing very well and just about all the way back," Hill said. "He has the potential to do extremely well. I’m not sure of his role. He’ll probably throw in relief with the injury, and move along slowly."
"That’s fine with me," said Healing when told of Hill’s remark.
Rutgers has its two best starters back, but the team’s closer from last season graduated. There are two returnees being looked at in that role as well as three first-year players, including Healing. One of those newcomers — freshman Chris Rini out of Immaculata High — may wind up as a starter for games outside of the Big East Conference, where Rutgers is cast as a leading tournament contender in what shapes up as a well-balanced league this season.
"My biggest concern is how the pitching staff responds in games," said Hill.
Healing’s hard work has not been lost on Hill or the two top pitchers — Jack Egbert and Shaun Parker.
He’s worked hard to come back," said Parker. "If we can put it all together, we’ll have one hell of a pitching staff."
"He’s throwing well," said Egbert. "It’s tough with a Tommy John timetable, but I’m confident he’ll be ready to go. We have a huge pitching staff and a lot of options."
And with an outfield that Hill says "might be one of the best we’ve ever had," the Scarlet Knights look solid.
"This year we’ll be a little more set," said Healing. "Last year we started out 2-11, and after that, we kind of clicked. This year I think it will happen earlier."
Rutgers, despite its youth, won the league’s regular season title last year and earned an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, its 10th trip in Hill’s 29 seasons.
Rutgers has two road series — this weekend at Old Dominion and next weekend at Georgia Tech — before spending extended time in Florida during spring break for a three-game set against the University of Miami and games against Florida International and Florida Atlantic. Rutgers plays 19 games before its home opener March 30 against Rider University.