BOSTON – When Xaverian coach Gerry Lambert watched Jack Whorf connect on a bases-clearing double in the second inning against rival BC High, he didn't understand the silence among the crowd at first.
The only sounds at Monan Park that could be heard were gasps followed by a series of whispers.
That's because BC High ace pitcher Mike Vasil was grasping for his elbow, grimmacing as he walked off the hill. While the Hawks (5-3) picked up a major 7-3 win in the Catholic Conference, the major concern for all the scouts and fans in attendance was the well-being of the MLB Prospect as he was removed from the contest.
“You look up afterwards and you kind of reassess the situation,” Lambert said. “You see him hunched over, and your heart breaks. We came here to compete against one of the best high school pitchers in the countryand the last thing you want to see is anything like that.”
Vasil was being looked at by team trainers before returning to the BC High (3-2) dugout with an ice-pack draped around his elbow. At the moment, the move appears to be more precautionary than anything.
“It's not on the inside, or the interior of the elbow,” Vasil said. “Which is good news. It's not enflamed or anything. I think it may be a nerve thing, or just tight from throwing the other day. It's nothing serious.”
Eagles coach Norm Walsh on the other hand, doesn't plan on taking any risks.
“It's going to be a slow process,” Walsh stated. “Certainly not going to rush him back. Obviously there's something there that aggravated it, caused a strain. So we're going to have to back off I think and take it slow.
“There's a lot at stake here, an awful lot at stake here. So we don't want to sacrifice that to win some high school baseball games, that's for sure.”
