The Comeback Kid

Zane Carlson cruised into Baylor three years ago fresh off a career at Highland Park High School in Dallas in which he earned three first-team, all-state honors.

As a freshman at Baylor, he set the school records for saves in a season and in a career. His presence helped lead the Bears to the 2000 Big 12 Conference title. He was named National Freshman of the Year and was selected to compete for Team USA during the summer. Everything was coming up roses.

Then came the pain.

"It started at the end of that summer," Carlson said. "I rested and thought it might go away, but it came back and kept escalating."

The pain was a stabbing sensation in Carlson's bicep that surfaced only at the most crucial moment in a pitcher's delivery -- the release. Trainers diagnosed the problem as tendonitis of the bicep and prescribed rest, reasoning that Carlson simply was overworked.

The rest didn't help. Struggling through the pain, Carlson saw his numbers fall from a 2.28 ERA and 15 saves as a freshman to a 5.45 ERA and eight saves the next season. Although he sat out the fall, the pain returned as soon as he threw the ball again.

"I wanted to try and be tough," he said. "I pitched in 10 games (in 2002), but it finally got to the point where if I was going to redshirt, I had to decide." Carlson elected the redshirt route, sitting out the remainder of the season to retain his year of eligibility. In April 2002, he underwent surgery, during which doctors found a growth entrapping a nerve in his bicep. The doctors successfully removed the growth, and Carlson was back throwing on the side within six weeks. Last summer, he headed to the Cape Cod League, the nation's premier collegiate summer league, to test his newly healed arm.

"It was a load off my shoulders not to have to worry about the pain," he said. "It made the game fun again."

Rejuvenated, Carlson led the summer league in saves (12), set the Cape's career saves record (24) and was named co-winner of the Russ Ford Award as the league's top relief pitcher. During fall practices back at Baylor, it was obvious Carlson's game was back.

"I saw him pitch last summer," head coach Steve Smith said, "and it was a dramatic difference from the way he threw the last year and a half. All through our fall intrasquads, he was our most consistent guy."

Brown is assistant athletic media relations director and Internet coordinator in Baylor Athletics.