In overcoming injury, Bloom-Carroll’s Markus Roberson continues to persevere
CARROLL — At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Bloom-Carroll junior Markus Roberson is an outstanding athlete and an imposing figure on the mound. He has all the tools to be a dominant pitcher.
A year ago, Roberson was thrown in the fire to pitch in a regional semifinal against Washington Court House. The Bulldogs were heavy favorites in the game as they seemed to be well on their way to the state tournament.
The moment may or may not have been too big for Roberson, who had to deal with a tight strike zone, but he just never seemed to settle in. He lasted two innings after giving up four hits and three earned runs. The Blue Lions would go on to upset the Bulldogs 4-2, and they would shut out their next opponent to reach the state tournament.
Heading into this season, Roberson had redemption on his mind. It was supposed to be his time, and he was going to be counted on in a big way as the Bulldogs’ ace.
Then it happened. He injured his knee during basketball practice in the first month of the season, had to have surgery and missed the rest of the basketball season. Not only was he devastated that he couldn’t play basketball, but his thoughts quickly turned to whether he would be able to play baseball.
Things could have gone south in a hurry for Roberson as he watched his teammates in basketball and baseball practice and play while he had to sit on the sideline with crutches. Even though he had days when he struggled, he never wavered in his belief he would get back on the field.
“It was eye-opening for me because I’ve never had a serious injury like that, so it made me appreciate being out here a lot more,” Roberson said. “It was super tough, mentally, just being there day in and day out, and not being able to practice or play. My teammates always picked me up and were super supportive, but it became frustrating not being able to be out there to help my team, and then I was worried I would miss baseball. There was just always a lot on my mind.”
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Staying the course
After many months of rehab, Roberson has fought his way back. He was slowed at the beginning of the season, but he started to find his groove in the past couple of weeks and is becoming the dominant pitcher the B-C coaching staff thought he could be. He pitched one inning in relief to help the Bulldogs clinch the Mid-State League-Buckeye Division championship. During that one inning, he struck out three batters and his fastball was clocked at 89 mph.
“Baseball is his sport, and he looks forward to it all year, and then he gets hurt,” Bloom-Carroll coach Jason Vest said. “Forget that he is an outstanding athlete, the thing I am most proud of is, the way he has handled it. He was a great teammate at practice even though he couldn’t do anything, and he kept his emotions intact and worked through that. Since we’ve got him out here, he has been great and wants to do whatever he can to help us win. He just wants to play.”
Once basketball was over, Roberson had to continue to sit and watch as his baseball teammates practiced. The one positive was he was able to lift weights with his upper body and become stronger. He wanted to be ready whenever he was cleared to play.
“You learn a lot about yourself when you are injured, and it was tough on me, but I was able to persevere,” Roberson said. “I kept working hard and got back in good shape, and I am still working on getting back to 100%, but I am feeling better each day.
“I felt behind and I was kind of rushing myself back a little, but I just stayed the course and focused on what I can focus on and do what I can do and just got ready.”
Roberson said losing in the regional last season gave him all the motivation he would need heading into this year Even though the injury was a setback, his mentality hasn’t changed.
“Losing that game in the regional was personal to me and I wanted to come out and prove myself this year,” Roberson said. “I feel like I kind of let the team down a little bit that day, and I think about it a lot, but I kept moving, and I will be ready if I get that chance again. I have a chip on my shoulder, and I feel like I am super behind, but going through the injury gave me a different perspective on things.
“I have chosen to keep moving forward and control what I can control. We started the season 1-7, but our coaches kept telling us to trust the process and things will eventually go our way. It depends on how you react. We couldn’t become negative during that time, and we continued to push through, and that’s what I have chosen to do with my injury.”
Vest said Roberson’s mental makeup and maturity through the adversity should be celebrated.
“There is no doubt, it has been tough on him,” Vest said. “The mental growth and how he has handled it has been impressive. You could see it, it wore on him, but he never let his teammates see it. He just came out here and had a positive attitude, cheered his teammates on and worked hard. His growth as a person, and how he has handled all the adversity has been through the roof.
“I think the sky is the limit for him. We’ve had some really good pitchers in this league, and if he is right and healthy, he is one of the two or three best I’ve seen in the last 20 years. He hit 89 on the gun, which gives him confidence in himself and motivates him to work even harder. Big things are ahead for him, and he has a bright future.”
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on Twitter @twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Bloom-Carroll baseball's Markus Roberson continues to persevere
