By Marty Maciaszek

The pain in Matt Schultz’s right elbow was not disappearing.

More than two weeks had passed since Schultz had pitched a complete game early in his sophomore season for Oswego East HS. He was initially diagnosed with tendinitis but went to have an MRI to get some definitive answers.

Later that day, Schultz received the painful results.

"It was the worst news of my life," Schultz said of learning he had torn the ulnar collateral ligament off the bone and would need Tommy John surgery. "It was hard to hear that."

But after the initial shock, he went out and handled the problem the way he knew best: by working hard to make sure his injury would not be the last people would hear from Schultz.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound right-hander carefully - at times against his own competitive instincts - eased his way back onto the mound in the spring of his junior year. Then, this summer he threw harder than ever when he hit 95 mph during a game at Triton College. Then, at the Prep Baseball Report Top Prospect Showcase in June, he earned top prospect honors after he sat 91-93 with his fastball, and flashed a hard-biting slider.

Now Schultz is back on the fast track after making a verbal commitment in September to pitch for Auburn University in the Southeastern Conference.

"It was kind of a relief to know I’d accomplished the goal of what I wanted to do," said Schultz, who has a 3.3 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale, scored 26 on the ACT and plans to study environmental science. "For how good of a school Auburn is and the baseball program is phenomenal.

"To know I had come back from something I possibly didn’t know I could come back from - I worked hard and it was just a huge weight off my shoulders."

In his abbreviated action last spring, Schultz had a 2-2 record and a 3.04 ERA in 27.2 innings with 25 strikeouts and 16 walks.

"I couldn’t be happier for him," said Oswego East coach Jim Vera. "He basically was down because of what happened and to see the progress he’s made, this is all on him.

"To come back from the injury the way he has and to do it the way he has says a lot about him, his work ethic and a lot about his family."

Schultz said he had not experienced any arm trouble before throwing 118 pitches in a complete-game loss to Plainfield North on April 10 of his sophomore year. When he woke up the next day and the arm was really sore and a bit swollen it was clear there was a problem.

It didn’t get better even though he was throwing just once a week. After he learned he needed Tommy John surgery, he actually pitched three more games since he couldn’t damage the elbow any further and finished the season with a 2-2 record, a 7.11 ERA and 21 strikeouts and 19 walks in 21⅔ innings.

It was only natural for Schultz to wonder about his future.

"In the back of your head you always think, ‘What’s going to happen and what am I going to do if it doesn’t work out for me,’" Schultz said. "Something I kept telling myself was guys come back throwing harder from this and that’s what I’m going to do."

Schultz had the surgery performed by Dr. Anthony Romeo, who repaired White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy’s torn right latissimus dorsi tendon.

Before the surgery, the fastest he was clocked at was 89. The post-surgery velocity jump put him clearly on major-college radar screens.

"My coaches came up and asked how hard I thought I was throwing and I said, ‘Maybe 90,’" Schultz said. "When they said, ‘Try 95,’ I didn’t believe them."

Schools from all over believed enough in what they saw to make scholarship offers to Schultz. But the family atmosphere, and what he called "the nicest people I’ve met in my entire life" helped sell him on Auburn.

Getting there was no easy trip. The pitch-count limits of last spring were a challenge for a guy who always wants to finish what he starts.

"I’m sure it was very difficult to him to have to come out of games early last year and not pitch as much as he wanted," Vera said. "I have a lot of respect for him because of that. It was tough to have to go as slow as he did."

Especially when Schultz faced Plainfield North again after the surgery. He had thrown 4⅓ shutout innings but had to come out after 55 pitches.

"I felt really good and when coach came out to the mound I was so mad because I was shutting them down," Schultz said. "We had never beaten them before. I wanted that game so badly and I was so frustrated when he took me out.

"Coach told me it would be all right and I said, ‘No, I want to be out there pitching.’ It was really tough."

Schultz understands it’s all part of making sure he stays on the mound without any more setbacks. Often the command of pitches takes longer to return post-Tommy John surgery, but Schultz said his changeup and hard 12-to-6 curve are better than ever.

That could be bad news for opposing hitters as Schultz looks for a big finish to his abbreviated high school career.

"I’m really looking forward to this season and actually pitching to my full potential," said Schultz, who had 10 strikeouts in 6 varsity innings as a freshman. "Instead of being on a short leash, I’m looking forward to having a season where I can just lay it all out there."