BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer
Stacy Ryan of Brick is enjoying a great summer as a catcher on the RKE Jaxx team that took a 16-1 record into a holiday weekend tournament in Lincroft after she had a solid spring for Georgian Court University.
All that comes despite a nagging irritation in her right shoulder she has endured for nearly two years from an injury playing fall softball in 2003.
Diagnosed with capsule redundancy, in which the joints around her shoulder are too loose, Ryan will have her shoulder surgically repaired by orthopedic specialist Dr. Mark Seckler, who has worked with players on the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.
Ryan will spend the rest of this year recovering, which she will enhance with physical therapy.
“I’m used to it; I’ve been doing it since the start of my senior year,” said Ryan of the physical therapy.
Despite the discomfort, Ryan has performed well.
“It’s been all right lately because I’m playing mostly on weekends, so I’m able to deal with it,” she said. “Things are going really well. This is my last year on the Jaxx because after that, I’ll be too old.”
Ryan played through pain in an outstanding senior season in which she helped Brick Memorial qualify for NJSIAA and Shore Conference tournament berths. She also had some strong efforts for the Mustangs bowling team that won the Brick tournament and the Shore Conference in her senior season in 2003-04.
But there were days when it was hard for her to concentrate on throwing the ball, and her scores dropped a bit because of a stinging pain in her shoulder when she would bowl.
“I’ve hardly bowled at all lately,” said Ryan.
She had little time for it in the spring, when she played for Georgian Court, which finished second in its conference to Caldwell College. But the pain remained ever present.
“It was not a problem for me, but it was hard to deal with it,” said Ryan. “I had to play through it. It was very painful.”
But Ryan found herself in the outfield for Georgian Court this spring — the first time since she played in left field in her freshman year at Brick Memorial, before she was moved to catcher in her sophomore year.
Her opportunity at Georgian Court came in the first inning of the first game, when the center fielder broke her hand while colliding with the right fielder going after a ball hit to the outfield. The right fielder then was moved to center, and Ryan went into right field.
She batted sixth in the order, a spot above where she’s been hitting for the power-packed Jaxx’s lineup this summer.
“Playing in college is a big transition. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your position for a chance to play [in another spot],” said Ryan. “It’s a lot more competitive, and hitting-wise, it’s a 3-foot difference from the mound to home plate.”
Georgian Court finished 28-15 and advanced to the conference championship round. It beat Caldwell in the double-elimination format, which forced Caldwell to come back and win two games to claim the title.
Ryan says Georgian Court lost the conference’s Pitcher of the Year to graduation, and the No. 2 pitcher will not return, but there are two bright prospects coming in. And Ryan expects that she’ll be moved to her more familiar spot of catcher, sharing time in that spot with a junior.
Ryan, who is majoring in criminal justice at Georgian Court, will work hard the next few months regaining the strength and good health in her shoulder, and getting herself in shape for the start of practices there in January.