It was 354 days ago when Adam Freeman’s left leg met up with an unforgiving and unyielding metal chain link fence.

The Brewer Falcons’ left fielder, who was trying to track down a foul ball hit down the left-field line, got his left leg caught under the fence as he crashed into it.

The collision violently bounced Freeman backward, but his foot remained planted and pinned under the fence. The result was a broken tibia and fibula, almost six months of tedious and sometimes grueling rehabilitation, and the loss of two high school sports seasons (soccer and basketball).

But almost a year later, Freeman appears to be almost 100 percent recovered and ready to help Brewer defend its 1999 American Legion Zone 1 baseball title.

“When I went over to his house to see him after the injury, he was OK spirit-wise, but he was still hurting,” recalled Falcons coach David Morris. “But I remember his first words were something like “I’ll be back.”

Back he is. Now Brewer’s starting center fielder, Freeman enters this weekend’s Zone 1 Tournament batting .276 with 18 runs, five RBIs, three stolen bases, and 10 walks.

Those who witnessed the jarring collision would be hard-pressed not to be impressed watching Freeman play today. Those who are aware Freeman broke the same leg again by simply climbing a step in the school gym last November would be shocked.

But not Freeman, and certainly not the people who know him best.

“I don’t think anyone’s surprised he’s come back because of his character. I wasn’t. I really didn’t have any doubts he’d be back,” Morris said. “He had some problems coming back, and come January, things still weren’t healing up the way they should be, but I just told him you have to have faith in those situations.”

Faith was something Freeman never lost. Faith or confidence.

“At first, I didn’t think it would be that bad, but when I broke it again in November, that worried me,” Freeman said. “But I knew if I worked hard enough I could get back. I just didn’t know how long it would take.”

Freeman’s struggle to get back into game shape has been motivational to his teammates – high school and Legion alike.

“I think on the high school team, it was inspiring more than anything else. I think he gave us a little lift emotionally,” said Morris, who is also Brewer High’s head baseball coach. “I think it made us play harder.

“And I think a lot of these Legion kids have a lot of respect for him, maybe even a lot more now than they already had.”

Ryan Hatch, Freeman’s high school and Legion teammate, says Freeman’s comeback made less serious injuries like sprains and bruises a lot easier to play with.

“He makes the rest of us work harder,” Hatch said. “He’s the best leadoff hitter I’ve seen. He’s an awesome player.”

Freeman says he’s playing at about “90 to 95 percent” of his ability and began playing totally pain-free two weeks ago for the first time in almost a year.

“The first time coach put me in center, I felt I could start letting it all hang out,” Freeman said.

About the only thing left for the son of Larry Freeman and Patti Corey to contend with now is the mental game – the lingering fear in the back of his mind that it could happen all over again whenever there’s a foul ball down the line or a shot deep to the warning track.

“It’s still there, but now that I’m in center, it’s not as bad,” he explained. “When I first got back, it was scary going down for balls down the line and near the fence.

“I think it’ll always be there. I think it’s made me cautious, but not to the point where it’s gonna hurt my game.”

Freeman is one of 72 players who will play in the Zone 1 tourney. Action starts Friday afternoon as Brewer takes on No. 3 Trenton at 4:30 p.m. At 8 p.m., No. 1 Orono meets No. 4 Bangor. All games are at Bangor’s Mansfield Stadium.

Tourney Capsules BANGOR COMRADES

Coach: Joe Nelson, 4th year

Record, seeding: 10-8, No. 4

Top hitters: 1B-3B Josh Johnson, 2B Jim Shea, C Shawn Bouchard, SS Chris Bombardier, 1b-3B-P Travis Brooker, OF Andrew Sullivan, CF Ryan Worcester, P-OF Jeremy Karam

Top pitchers: RHP Barrett Dionne (3-0), RHP Brooker (2-2), LHP Karam (1-1), LHP Joe Vanidestine (2-1)

Outlook: The Comrades must continue to get solid pitching and defense – two staples during the regular season – and do the little things on offense such as moving runners along with hit-and-runs, bunts, and clutch hitting. Bangor wants to avoid high-scoring games and giving opponents extra outs. Dionne, Karam and Brooker are a solid trio.

BREWER FALCONS

Coach: David Morris, 1st year

Record, seeding: 12-6, No. 2

Top hitters: 1B-P Craig Harvey, C-P Rick McHale, 3B-P Joel Barrett, OF Justin Spencer, OF Adam Freeman, 2B-P Ryan Snell, Abram Allard

Top pitchers: RHP Ryan Hatch (4-2), RHP Kyle Dalton, LHP C. Harvey, RHP Snell, RHP R. McHale

Outlook: The hot-hitting Falcons are the top offensive team in the tourney field with Zone 1 player of the year Harvey and other hot bats like McHale, Barrett and Spencer. Defense will be key to the Falcons’ chances as their pitchers don’t set strikeout records, but do throw strikes, put the ball in play, and let their defense work behind them.

ORONO TWINS

Coach: Brian Harvey, 1st year

Record, seeding: 12-5, No. 1

Top hitters: OF Aaron Civiello, SS-P Jason Sirois, C Jason Folsom, 2B-P Josh Emerson, OF Brad Boyles, OF-DH Rob Donato, 3B-P Brad Wheaton

Top pitchers: LHP Jason Robbins (5-0), RHP Wheaton (3-2), RHP Brian Tewhey, RHP Ryan Brown, RHP Sirois

Outlook: One of the deepest pitching staffs in Zone 1 makes the Twins a solid threat to advance to the state tournament for the ninth time in 11 years. Orono has a good left-right balance on the staff and hot hitters in Civiello, Emerson, Boyles and Sirois. The layoff may help Orono, which cooled off with a .500 record down the regular-season stretch run.

TRENTON ACADIANS

Coach: Bill Hodgdon, 1st

Record, seeding: 11-6, No. 3

Top hitters: 2B-SS-P Toby Cole, 3B John Lewandowski, OF-DH Greg Ingalls, OF Tyler Balombini-Goddard, OF Pete Collier, OF Derek Awalt,

Top pitchers: RHP Mike Cowperthwaite, LHP Joe Richards, RHP Brendan Outlook: Despite developing arm trouble early in the season, Cole is still the team leader and one of the top players in the zone. His ailment forced him to move from shortstop to second and drastically lighten his pitching load, however. Trenton must keep scores low to avoid exposing an already thin staff and avoid getting into slugfests.