Senior Jace Fowler is back in his familiar spot at the top of the Franklin batting order.
Daily Journal file photo
The crutches previously responsible for supporting Jace Fowler’s 175 pounds lean against a wall in the Franklin senior’s bedroom.
No longer are their services required, though they do serve as a reminder to the Grizzly Cubs’ right fielder and leadoff hitter of the pain and varied emotions he endured in his quest of returning in time to contribute to the baseball team.
“I can look at the crutches and remember that in September, I couldn’t walk,” Fowler said.
Fowler began experiencing soreness in his left hip while his travel baseball team, the Noblesville-based PRP Mambas, were playing in a tournament at Ball State last summer. His squad played three games that day, his hip pain gradually intensifying.
He wound up undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery on Sept. 13, a minimally invasive procedure Fowler says was designed to shave off some of the head of the bone and fix the tears that were in the labrum.
The surgery took approximately five hours to perform, touching off a rehabilitation process that lasted five and a half months.
“The best way I can describe the rehab process is that it was day by day,” said Fowler, who batted .309 as a junior, tying for the team lead in doubles (11), finishing second in runs (27) and third in hits (29).
Fowler took the advised six weeks on crutches and broke them into thirds. What started as two weeks using both crutches to get from one place to another gave way to the senior using one crutch under his right arm while indoors and both crutches outdoors over Weeks 3 and 4.
Fowler’s final two weeks had him utilizing one crutch outdoors and walking without crutches indoors. By January, he was able to throw a baseball while remaining stationary so not to put additional pressure on his left hip; Fowler started taking cuts in the batting cage in February, preparing himself for Franklin’s season opener.
The Grizzly Cubs lost to Bedford North Lawrence and Evansville North on April 2, but experienced a victory through Fowler being part of the starting lineup. The senior went 2 for 4 and takes a .231 average into today’s Athenian Invitational.
Franklin (5-3) faces undefeated Crawfordsville (7-0), ranked fifth in Class 3A, in the 10 a.m. opener.
Fowler, who has signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Indiana State, continues the process of regaining the burst he used to have out of the batter’s box, while leaving a base or getting a jump on the ball while playing in the outfield.
Another work in progress is attempting to maintain a consistent swing of the bat.
As was the case with Fowler’s rehabilitation, each day presents its own physical and psychological triumphs.
“I’m starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together,” Fowler said. “I kind of look at every game as I’m going to give it my all. I feel the most comfortable leading off, and feel that I can handle the pressure. I want that spot.”
Grizzly Cubs coach Ryan Feyerabend has been happy to pencil in Fowler’s name at the top of each of his lineup cards.
“We were a little surprised at how quickly Jace bounced back,” Feyerabend said. “You get that kind of surgery, it was pretty tough on him for two or three months. But once he got cleared, he got up to full speed really quick.
“It was apparent by mid- to late February. We just try to communicate with him, and he lets us know, especially if it’s cold weather, if his hip is stiff. For the most part, he’s 100%.”
