Mark Nowaczewski remembers the exact pitch in which his ulnar collateral ligament tore apart.
It was in the sixth inning of the Wolf Pack’s 2014 Mountain West Tournament opener. Nowaczewski was only a true freshman with two career college starts but the staff had enough confidence in the 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-handed to start him in the team’s most important game of the season.
Nowaczewski had battled Fresno State ace Jordan Brink – an 11th-round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs following the season – pitch for pitch for the first five innings. In the sixth, Nowaczewski felt a piercing pain pulsate through his elbow after he reached back and unfurled his 92nd pitch of the game.