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FOX 13 Link: https://www.fox13news.com/sports/usfs-carson-ragsdale-using-lessons-learned-after-surgery-during-quarantine
TAMPA, Fla. - As we wonder when things will get back to normal, University of South Florida baseball pitcher Carson Ragsdale knows all about settling into new a new normal.
"Having surgery kind of laid the groundwork for me to understand how to deal with stuff like this," the Wesley Chapel native said. "I was going to miss an entire year of play it was definitely a low moment for me."
Ragsdale missed his entire junior season in 2019 after having Tommy John surgery.
"I had to pick myself up and fight through that adversity," Ragsdale told FOX 13 Sports. "I kind of just set some goals and wanted to just tackle rehab."
Tackle rehab, he did. After a medical redshirt, things appeared to be looking up in 2020.
In his first four appearances back from Tommy John recovery, Ragsdale led the Bulls in strikeouts, which was good for third in the American Athletic Conference.
"I felt good moving into conference and I definitely felt like I was on the incline,"
Then the NCAA canceling spring sports meant baseball was taken away from Ragsdale for a second straight season. However, he told FOX 13 Sports he doesn't feel he was robbed of anything.
"There's people out there losing jobs," Ragsdale said. "Sports isn't really the biggest concern right now."
Ragsdale was also quick to emphasize this isn't something happening to only him.
"We're all in this together. We're all in the same boat so I don't feel like 'man I wish I was playing because I'm watching other people play right now' because nobody is out there playing," Ragsdale said. "Everyone is in the same boat at home, hunkered down."
