Billy Clontz has put Tommy John surgery behind him

Billy Clontz stood in the hallway outside the Corvallis Knights’ locker room at Goss Stadium, beads of sweat on his cheeks after taking infield in 90-degree heat moments earlier.

His smile genuine, creating tiny lines around his eyes. This would be a night off for the 2004 Corvallis High graduate, relatively speaking. Clontz was slated to be the designated hitter, rather than playing in the field.

Clontz has also started at third base and in the outfield for the Knights, playing in 33 of their 34 games. He’s hitting .288 in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League, fourth on the team, and played Tuesday night in the WCCBL All-Star game in Spokane, Wash.

That’s a welcome change from last summer, when Clontz was on the roster but inactive after having Tommy John surgery on his elbow in March 2007.

“It’s one of those surgeries, like the ACL, it’s one of the toughest because it’s such an integral part of throwing and playing baseball,” Clontz said. “The stress that throwing a baseball puts on your arm is unreal, when you get down to the science of things.”

His recovery spanned a year. He played his sophomore season at Mt. Hood Community College this spring and was welcomed back with the Knights.

Last summer, he travelled with the team and did physical therapy three days a week with Knights’ trainer Jeremy Ainsworth.

“It was a long haul and it was tough having to sit out and not being able to contribute in the ways that I wanted to,” Clontz said. “But I still tried to find ways.”

This summer has allowed him to get back to consistently playing the game he loves. His rehabilitation is complete and he keeps striving to get better.

“Billy has worked hard and earned his way on the field; he loves this game,” Knights coach Brooke Knight said. “And he’s one of those local guys who has done the right things, he’s battled it out. He’s worked his way through a couple of injuries of late, but he loves to compete.”

Clontz plans to compete for a couple more years. He will attend Western Oregon in the fall on a partial scholarship.

“I’m excited to go to Western Oregon; I’m way excited,” he said. “I’ll get to play with my best friend, he just transferred there from Lewis & Clark State.”

Being reunited with Justin Speer, who Clontz played with at Mt. Hood as a freshman, is a reward.