HARTLAND — Brady Hamilton didn’t need to take the mound to prove his value to Howell’s baseball team this season.
It was more than enough that he was able to provide a potent bat and a presence that was uplifting to his teammates following Tommy John surgery last summer that jeopardized his senior season.
But returning to the mound for the first time this season for a regional semifinal game against Dexter was immensely important for Hamilton, giving him one final chance to pitch in a Howell uniform and proving to himself that he’s fully back as he takes the next step in his baseball journey.
Hamilton, who was on a pitch count, threw 43 pitches in 2⅔ innings and scored Howell’s only run following a single and two stolen bases in a 7-1 season-ending loss to Dexter on Wednesday, June 3 at Hartland High School.
“It meant a lot,” said Hamilton, a Davenport University recruit who was cleared to pitch two days earlier. “We didn’t know last year after my injury if I’d be able to play at all. I hit the whole year. It was great. It meant a whole lot for my senior season. We all wanted to win more than just a district, but I can’t complain at all. It’s a great group of guys.”
Hamilton had a 1.80 earned run average while throwing a team-high 46 2/3 innings last season, playing shortstop when he wasn’t pitching. He couldn’t pitch or play the field this season, but was a major catalyst on offense. He tied for first on the team with 28 runs batted in, ranked second with a .389 average and had a team-leading 31 stolen bases.
He scored Howell’s only run to tie the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning. He singled, stole second and third, then scored on a single by Nick Myers.
“Incredible kid,” Howell coach Matt Hunt said. “When that injury happened, he did not let it impact him. He went to work with his bat. He was able to be an all-district, all-conference player just as a hitter alone. That says a lot about his character.”
Given the time off, Hamilton wasn’t as sharp as normal. But even in such an important game, that was secondary to seeing him back on the mound after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow last July.
“It meant a lot for him just to be able to pitch one more time in the high school season,” senior shortstop Danny Hampton said. “He’s got summer as well as he gets to play college ball. It was really exciting to see him back on the mound. Just his presence on the mound gives confidence to a lot of the team. He’s a great pitcher and he’s a great guy. Fortunately, we couldn’t have him go any longer, but it was great for him to be there.”
Hamilton was grateful for the opportunity.
“I’m happy all the coaches believed in me and gave me the opportunity,” he said. “Just coming back in 10 months to pitching in a regional game is not something you usually get. I appreciate it.”
As for Hampton, it was the final game of his record-breaking career at Howell.
He went 0-for-2, finishing the season hitting exactly .500. Hampton was 53-for-106, becoming the first Livingston County player to hit at least .500 since Howell’s Eric Henderson hit .511 in 2011.
Hampton set Howell records with 192 career hits, 53 doubles, 12 triples, 89 walks and 451 at-bats.
“It stinks everything’s coming to an end, my high school career, but I’m so thankful I get to play in college, so it’s not over yet,” said Hampton, who will play at Northwood University. “It’s a sad feeling, but I’m ready to get back to work and keep on competing in the summer and going into fall ball.
“It’s been a blessing to play four years in a Howell jersey. Howell’s a great program in a lot of sports around the state.”
Dexter (30-9) took the lead for good when a two-out triple by Colin Jarboe in the third inning broke a 1-1 tie. The Dreadnaughts scored three in the fourth, one in the fifth and one in the sixth.
Howell (24-15-1) had only three hits off Mason McAllister (six innings) and Ray Eby (one).
Williamston 12, Pinckney 1
Williamston charged out to an 8-0 lead through the top of the second inning in a Division 2 regional semifinal.
A home run in the second by freshman Easton McGlothin provided the only run for Pinckney (19-18).
Softball
Howell 12, Farmington Hills Mercy 7
Zoey Overton was 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs in Howell’s tuneup for the Division 1 regional at Hartland.
Leighton Scott was 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs and Clem Stevens was 3-for-4 for the Highlanders (21-15).
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Howell pitcher’s return from surgery bright spot in regional baseball loss
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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By Bill Khan, Livingston Daily | USA TODAY Network
