‘Reunited at last’

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When asked how he felt about former James Wood High School team­mate Brent Bertschinger suiting up for the Shenandoah University baseball team this year, senior Greg Van Sickler summed it up succinctly: “Reunited at last.”

Bertschinger probably says the same thing to himself every time he toes the pitching rubber nowa­days.

After pitching in just 10 official games for his school teams over the last four springs be­cause of arm injuries, Ber tschinger hopes he can finally realize his potential in the town where it first blossomed.

“I love to play base­ball, and I’m just glad I have the opportunity to play again,” said the 6-foot-3, 195 pound right-hander.

“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs these past couple of years.”

Unfortunately for Bertschinger, the downs have been significantly more notable than the ups.

Having already been signed by Division I Western Carolina head­ing into his senior season at James Wood in the spring of 2007, Bertschinger seemed to have it made.

But he pitched in just one game that season before being shut down, and that July he had Tom­my John surgery to repair the ul­nar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Bertschinger still went to West­ern Carolina, but not into the situ­ation he signed on for. The head coach, Todd Raleigh, left before the school year started to take the same position at the University of Tennessee, and the new coaches had no particular attachment to an injured player they didn’t know.

Bertschinger transferred to Hagerstown Community College in the fall of 2008. His strong pitch­ing performance in fall ball earned him a scholarship to play for West Virginia University.

With an improved fastball (up to 92 miles per hour from 90 in high school) Bertschinger posted a 4-2 record in nine games for HCC that spring.

The success didn’t last, though.

Bertschinger tore the labrum in his pitching shoulder and had rota­tor cuff surgery. As a result, he chose not to go to WVU, because he would have had to sit out an­other year while he rehabbed his injur y.

With two surgeries in the span of two years, Bertschinger won­dered if he’d have to sit out for good.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do about baseball and where I was going to go from there,” he said.

Bertschinger graduated from HCC in the fall of 2009. Then, 10 days before the 2010 fall semester was to begin at SU, Bertschinger’s itch to pitch returned. He called Hornets coach Kevin Anderson, who got him enrolled.

“One of the biggest reasons I decided to come here was Coach Anderson,” Bertschinger said.

“I’ve never heard a bad thing about him from anybody. He’s helped me out a whole lot on the mound, having confidence in me and believing in me.”

Anderson was more than happy to give Bertschinger — a sopho­more in terms of eligibility — an ­other chance. And Bertschinger has done everything he can to prove he deserves it.

The kinesiology major achieved a 4.0 GPA last semester. He’s em­braced the suggestions the coach­ing staff has made to improve his mechanics, which Anderson be­lieves is the reason for Ber tschinger’s arm woes.

Not wanting to push Bertschinger too hard, Anderson said they are targeting a mid-March return. (SU opens the sea­son Saturday at home against King’s, Pa.) When he’s ready, An­derson thinks Bertschinger has a chance to be a fourth or fifth star ter.

After all he’s been through, Bertschinger will take any role he can get.

“I’m still in the process of build­ing back up, but I expect to be bet­ter than before,” he said. “The per­fect word for the last five years would be ‘humbling.’ It’s been a journey. I’m just happy I’m here right now. I really like the guys on the team, and hopefully I can con­tribute to them getting back to the [Division III] World Series.”

— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at r niedzwiecki@winchester star.com