Summers signs on with South Georgia

Phillip Summers was just glad to pitch again after recovering from a muscle injury he suffered during his junior season.

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Then, during his senior season, when a line drive slammed his throwing arm and resulted in a scene that horrified onlookers, Summers thought he was done.

But the Harlem left-hander recovered from that, too. He accepted a scholarship last week to play baseball at South Georgia, with an arm that he says is back to normal.

"From the dorms to the field to the people, you go down there and everything you could want is there," Summers said. "Honestly, if I could pick anywhere, it'd be there."

Summers tried out for the school's coaches after a full recovery from his latest setback.

He was pitching at Cross Creek on April 17 when a Razorbacks hitter blasted a shot back toward the mound. Summers turned to avoid the ball slamming his chest, and it connected with his left arm.

The muscle swelled and bled down his arm. When medical personnel first arrived at the mound, they thought Summers' arm was deformed.

"I thought I was through," he said.

But there was no permanent damage, only a nasty shape and color for about a week.

Summers was connected to South Georgia through Harlem coach Lonnie Morris, who has a nephew on the team.

Summers asked Morris' nephew if the team needed any pitchers and landed a private tryout for coaches.

He said he threw about 30 pitches from the side of the mound and was told he had a spot if he wanted it.

"I just love the school and the atmosphere," Summers said. "I think it will be a really good place to get stronger and bigger and move on from there."

Summers started this season after being hampered last season by a tear in the muscle connecting his chest to his left shoulder. He said he told doctors he didn't want surgery, that he had seen what other players who had experienced surgery had gone through.

So he was put on a vigorous workout regimen that included using a hand-pedaled stationary bike, tossing a medicine ball and lots of push-ups.

Summers said he would like to increase the velocity of his fastball into the 90 mph range and hopefully move on to a larger school.

"I'm just thankful to be able to pitch again," he said.