Ben Tate had his senior year taken from him before it even started. (Photo Courtesy: Ben Tate).
On an Autumn Day during an intersquad scrimmage, Dean College senior pitcher Ben Tate felt a pop in his right elbow. His upcoming senior year was over before it even began.
Tate knew right away that something wasn’t right. His velocity was lower when he tried to throw. He couldn’t control his pitches.
“Initially, I thought, ‘Why me?’” he said. “I put in a ton of work in the summer and pitched in the Futures League. Once I was told I was going to be a conference starter I was doing as much work as I could. To have it taken away in a second was devastating.”
Tate’s worst nightmare was confirmed when he went to the team doctor, who found that he indeed had a torn UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) in his throwing elbow as well as severe nerve damage.
“Ben was going to play a huge part to our team this year,” said senior team captain Brian Dovidio.
The team doctor initially told Tate in November that he would never play baseball again. Surgery was deemed too risky after the right-hander underwent a procedure on his ulnar nerve as a sophomore. The doctor believed that Tate could lose feeling and function in his hand forever by undergoing surgery this time.
However, independent doctors ultimately signed off on UCL surgery, commonly referred to as Tommy John Surgery, in April to repair the torn elbow ligament.
“Looking back at it,” Tate said, “I wish I hadn’t thrown as much in the fall since I was throwing a little over 100 pitches in the summer every weekend. I also wish I had worked a little harder. I don’t think my body was in the best shape physically as I did not do a full recovery after I threw.”
This was not the only fork in the road that Tate had to navigate. He also had his season
cut short last year due to Covid-19 cases rising on campus which led to Dean College President Dr. Paula Rooney sending everyone home a week early before finals.
“The team was doing well, and it was going to be the first time we were going to clinch the playoffs ever.”
Between having his junior season cut short and now his senior year taken from him before it even started, Tate learned a valuable lesson.
“It all taught me to never take anything for granted, because anything can be stripped from you in a second,” Tate said. “It also taught me to work hard for anything I want to do in life and not take it for granted.”
Tate had been playing baseball ever since he was five years old when his mother signed him up to play. He fell in love with the game as well as playing with his friends.
Baseball was fun.
Tate fell in love with the game by watching the 2007 Boston Red Sox sweep the Colorado Rockies in the World Series. He credits his father, Dave, for influencing him along the way. Although his parents initially weren’t big sports fans, they helped him get to where he is today after Ben was drawn into baseball.
“My mother told me you have to deal with the cards you’ve been dealt,” Tate said. “Keep your head held high and focus on your future and stay with your friends to get through this.”
Tate plans to attend graduate school at East Carolina University once he graduates from Dean in May.
“I was sad for him when it first happened,” said Ben’s mother, Debby. “He had worked so hard to recover that arm and get it strong again. I was sadder when I realized it was a serious injury and not just a strain, and that he wouldn't be able to play his senior year. Overall, I'm very proud of the way he advocated for himself with getting it taken care of, seeking another opinion after the team doctor. (I’m) just proud in general of his attitude with the injury. He’s looked at the bigger picture and to me, that's the most important thing.”
Despite being injured for the season, Tate still plays a big role with the team every day.
“Ben has been a great leader on and off the field,” said Dean Baseball head coach Ernie May. “His injury was very unfortunate, but he has had a great attitude throughout the entire diagnosis, injury and plan to repair his UCL. He has been able to attend our games and assist in-game to aid the coaches in many aspects of the keeping his teammates on track as we head into conference play.”
Tate described himself as an all-around player growing up. He was never fast but could pitch, hit and play in the field. He believed that he could play any position to help his team win. He was a pitcher and first baseman at Dean, which was the only college program that showed constant interest in him in high school, until this season. He was set to be one of four conference pitchers as a senior.
“Coach May and Coach (Ryan) Dana recruited me all the way through high school and made me feel at home,” Tate said. “They also spoke to me when I wasn’t here to try to get me to come to Dean, and I had the opportunity to pitch and hit. Plus, it was not as far from my hometown South Burlington, Vermont.”
Tate’s favorite memory at Dean would have to be the amount of time he spent his teammates.
“We have great culture and a family as a team,” he said. “It is great to be around and makes college so much more enjoyable.”
Sometimes things happen that we may not have control over. Sometimes life throws you curveballs. It comes down to how well you hit them.
Nobody knows that better than Ben Tate.
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