Injuries fail to slow UMaine’s Ouellette Second baseman bounces back from three operations to play important role

ORONO – Brett Ouellette could have quit the University of Maine baseball team – almost any time since his arrival in 1998 – and nobody would have blamed him.

During his four years at UMaine, Ouellette has undergone two Tommy John reconstructive surgeries on his right elbow and another procedure to repair ligament damage in his left ankle.

In spite of frequent and frustrating challenges, the junior from Keene, N.H., has persevered. Friday night, he’ll be among the veterans who lead the Black Bears onto the field against Cal State Northridge at the NCAA Regional in Los Angeles.

“He is as resilient a guy as I’ve ever coached,” said UMaine coach Paul Kostacopoulos. “To come back and have a year like he’s having, after another injury in the fall, is just incredible. Ninety-nine percent of the kids would have quit.”

Ouellette has been one of UMaine’s key performers all season. After starting his college career as an outfielder, the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder has found a new home at second base.

Ouellette, who had played mostly shortstop and third base while leading Keene High School to consecutive state championships in 1997 and ’98, ranks third on the team and 13th in America East with a career-best .325 batting average. While he doesn’t possess tremendous power (3 home runs), he has stroked 12 doubles and has knocked in 31 runs.

“He’s been one of the most consistent guys,” Kostacopoulos said. “He has been as clutch as anybody on the team. He’s got a bunch of RBIs.”

The injury-plagued Ouellette hasn’t been healthy this season, either. Last fall, he suffered a left ankle injury that led to Jan. 4 surgery to insert a pin to reattach a ligament to the bone.

Ouellette sat out virtually all of the winter workouts to let the ankle heal, but was pronounced fit enough to travel with the Bears on their southern swing in March. He made his season debut March 21 at Clemson and worked his way back into the starting lineup.

“It had been over a year since I had started for Maine,” Ouellette said. “[The ankle] just kept getting stronger with more range of motion.”

While the ankle has been OK, Ouellette recently has developed shin splints in his right leg, which he said likely resulted from overcompensating for the other ankle. But playing with pain is no problem for the determined young man.

“I’ve been dealing with injuries since I hurt my elbow the first time [during high school],” Ouellette said. “I’ll keep fighting through them and hopefully good things will happen.”

Ouellette has emerged as a dependable second baseman who is capable of making more than just routine plays. His skills have been instrumental in the 40 double plays UMaine has turned this season.

Ouellette made some impressive defensive plays during the America East Championship and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

“You look at that kid – two Tommy John surgeries, one ankle surgery this winter – right now all of it has been worth it,” Kostacopoulos said. “He’s a tough kid and I couldn’t be happier for him.”

Ouellette started in center field for the Bears as a freshman in 1999, batting .289, but was dealing with a painful torn tendon in his right elbow.

“I felt so bad I couldn’t even throw [the ball] or swing [a bat],” Ouellette said. “I couldn’t do anything.”

He had his first reconstructive surgery that summer, then returned in the spring of 2000. Ouellette played in 38 games but started only 12 after reinjuring the elbow. He had surgery again that summer, then redshirted the 2001 season to make his recovery complete.

“The elbow’s fine. It’s back to 100 percent,” Ouellette said with a smile.

Overcoming adversity has been routine for Ouellette. He said he suffers from a learning disability that makes some tasks, that are easy for many people, difficult for him.

“I struggle reading, spelling and with comprehension,” said Ouellette, a public administration major who explained UMaine’s program that helps students with such difficulties was one of his primary reasons for choosing the university.

After all those challenges, Ouellette relishes the chance to play in an NCAA Regional.

“We’re going to have fun and maybe bring some respect back to the school that maybe had gone away, show people that we can play baseball up here in Maine, too.”