"Gamechanger": Randall baseball's Hagen Shedd finding role for Raiders after surgery
When he was keeping Canyon Randall’s stats while recovering from arm surgery, Hagen Shedd’s teammates called him “game-changer” after the GameChanger app that keeps track of high school games and stats.
Today, he’s a game-changer for a different reason.
Shedd returned from surgery on April 12 against Canyon High and has since played a role in the Raiders’ district championship and push for another state tournament berth. The senior infielder, pitcher and Texas Tech commit has recorded seven hits, scored six runs and driven in three more in seven games played this season, including a solo home run in Randall’s 10-5 Game 1 bi-district round win against Fort Stockton last Thursday.
Shedd didn’t think he would play at all this season. But now, he hopes to help the Raiders (22-9) return to the Class 4A state tournament ahead of their area round series against El Paso Irvin, scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Thursday in Seminole.
“I just want to keep filling my role and do the best I can,” Shedd said. “I want to keep this journey going.”
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Shedd felt his arm pop while pitching last summer, and then wasn’t able to move it.
Multiple doctors originally told him he had an elbow sprain that could be healed with rest and physical therapy. But after a fall filled with rehab, Shedd’s arm wasn’t healing. He then received an MRI from a doctor in Dallas in December, who found two tears in his elbow.
Shedd needed Tommy John surgery to reconstruct his UCL (ulnar collateral ligament), putting his senior season in doubt.
“It was hard to know that I wouldn’t be able to do anything,” Shedd said. “I didn’t just want to sit there and watch.”
He then began another rehab and slowly worked his way back to the diamond. Shedd went through more physical therapy and progressed to doing exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups before eventually being cleared to practice four months after surgery.
Shedd credits Randall coach Brad Propst for helping him be mentally strong during rehab.
“I had to explain to him the mental aspect is greater than the physical,” Propst said. “He had to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He handled it really well.”
Shedd wanted to be involved with the Raiders in some way, which is why he took stats and caught his teammates bullpen sessions throughout non-district play. He was told he could return at the tail end of the season, but only as a batter, which is why he’s only been Randall’s designated hitter so far.
He was only hitting in cages and off tees to that point, which is why Shedd was shocked to have not come back rusty.
“When I finally got in there, I was swinging the bat really well,” Shedd said. “I was very surprised and kept working at everything.”
Shedd went hitless in his first game back, but fully announced his return with a 2-for-3 outing against Hereford on April 16 and an RBI double against Borger on April 23. His contributions helped seal an undefeated district title for the Raiders ahead of playoffs, where Propst hopes he can leave on top.
“He’s getting better every day and helping us win more and more,” Propst said. “He’s grown a ton as a teammate and athlete and we’ve been super blessed to have him.”
For Shedd, there’s only one way he can end his high school story before leaving for Tech.
“We have to win that state championship,” Shedd said. “We fell a little short last year, and it excites me to think about getting back there again.”
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Randall baseball's Hagen Shedd finding role for Raiders after surgery
