Why this season is 'special' for OU pitcher Braxton Douthit
NORMAN — Braxton Douthit felt like the temperature had been cranked up in the room.
A sophomore pitcher for Northern Oklahoma College-Enid at the time, Douthit was visiting a doctor to get an evaluation on his right arm in February of 2019. He had felt a pop followed by an excruciating pain during a recent game against Iowa Central, and he was anxious to hear the diagnosis.
The doctor showed Douthit six MRI scans. And while the first five showed no damage, the sixth scan revealed the source of his pain.
Douthit had a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that required what's known in the baseball world as Tommy John surgery. Just like that, his season was over, and his long road to recovery had started.
"It was tough news," Douthit said. "Once I heard that news, I started sweating a lot, profusely. I had some emotions. ... It was tough hearing that."
Two missed seasons and two teams later, Douthit has put his injury behind him.
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This season marks the final year of eligibility for Douthit, and he's making the most of it at OU. The graduate transfer pitcher has a 5.02 ERA, and he ranks second on the team in strikeouts (40).
After beginning his career at the junior college level, Douthit is contributing to a Power 5 program. But most of all, he's just glad to be back on the mound.
"That's what drives a baseball player, just going out there and competing," Douthit said. "I love doing that."
Douthit grew up with dreams of playing for OU.
He was born in Miami, Oklahoma, a town with a population of about 13,000 people. It's hardly the hub for college recruiting, which is why Douthit struggled to get much interest out of high school.
But Douthit attended numerous showcases and summer tournaments, which is how he received offers from a handful of in-state junior college programs. He ultimately committed to NOC-Enid, where he hit the ground running as a freshman.
Douthit went 11-1 with a 3.92 ERA, and he racked up 81 strikeouts in 87 ⅓ innings pitched. He ultimately led the Jets to a NJCAA World Series championship, and he was named the Regional MVP for his efforts.
Douthit committed to Lamar before the start of his sophomore season at NOC-Enid. It marked a chance for the young pitcher to take his talents to the Division I level, he suffered a major setback before he could make the move.
Douthit was making his third start of the season in a game against Iowa Central on Feb. 22, 2019, when he threw a pitch during the fourth inning. Immediately, he felt a pop in his right arm.
Douthit says there wasn't much initial pain, which is why he continued playing. But he felt it on his next pitch.
The ball sailed past the catcher and hit the backstop as Douthit dropped to the ground in pain.
"It was a pretty excruciating pain," Douthit said. "That was a first-time thing. Nothing had really led up to it."
Douthit received Tommy John surgery on March 5, 2019, which marked the start of his road to recovery.
He spent the first two weeks at his parents' house. Douthit had a cast on his arm and also needed to rest his leg, where a ligament was used from his hamstring as part of the surgery.
It took another five months for Douthit to be able to throw a baseball. By that time, he was set to join Lamar, which honored his scholarship offer despite his injury.
"When I told (Lamar), they obviously didn't want the news," Douthit said. "It was tough. But they were in my corner, for sure, and they helped me get through it."
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Douthit was in good shape by the one-year anniversary of his surgery.
The sophomore pitcher was about two weeks away from being cleared to return, but that's when he got hit with another setback. Lamar's season got shut down prior to a game against McNeese State on March 13, 2020, due to the pandemic.
The news was especially heartbreaking for Douthit, who now had to wait until the following season to make his anticipated return.
"It was a tough deal, working up all that way," Douthit said. "It was tough, for sure."
Douthit's return eventually came in a game against Houston on March 3, 2021, just two days before the two-year anniversary of his surgery.
Lamar and Houston were still scoreless heading into the top of the eighth inning when Douthit emerged from the bullpen. He quickly forced a 1-2-3 inning before getting relieved at the start of the ninth frame.
It was a brief return for Douthit, who was a credited with the win in Lamar's 2-0 victory.
"It felt great," Douthit said. "I was just back doing what I love."
On the losing side was Houston's Trevin Michael, who now plays for OU.
Michael didn't allow any runs in five innings pitched, although Douthit still brags about his win to this day.
"Trevin threw a very well-pitched game," Douthit said. "But I threw an inning, had one strikeout and got the win. ... Trevin wasn't happy about that."
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Douthit played for three seasons at Lamar. He recorded a 3.54 ERA with a 10-5 record during that time before entering the transfer portal.
Douthit wanted to spend his final year of eligibility closer to home. And when OU came calling, he jumped at the chance of playing for the team he grew up rooting for.
"I was born and raised a Sooner," Douthit said. "Growing up, I wanted to come here. ... Getting that offer just made it that much more special to end my college career here."
Douthit is a one of the many new faces in OU's bullpen, which watched six of its pitchers get selected in last season's MLB Draft.
OU watched 11 total players get drafted, and the team has experienced plenty of growing pains this season as a result.
Still, the Sooners (26-22, 11-11 Big 12) are holding out hope of securing an NCAA Regional bid after making an unlikely run to the College World Series' championship round last season.
OU's season has been filled with ups and downs. But after being forced to miss two years due to injury, Douthit has learned to appreciate the process.
"I got to see the game from a whole different perspective," Douthit said. "I was just watching and learning the game. ... It really opened my eyes."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU baseball: Braxton Douthit thrives with Sooners after injury woes
