McKenzie’s Lunn fought through broken leg for senior season

Collisions happen on the baseball field. Usually guys pick each other up, dust off the knees and get ready for the next pitch.

But for McKenzie’s Mitchell Lunn, the collision didn’t go exactly that way last year.

During the second inning of a home game against West Carroll, there was a shallow fly ball to right field. Lunn went back from his second base position to field it.

“I called off the right fielder, but I guess he didn’t hear me,” Lunn said. “When he came up to get it, he ran into me. He fell, and I tripped over him. My left leg got caught under him. I went one way and my leg went the other.”

Lunn said he heard the break and immediately knew it was broken. He had surgery the following day, and was in the hospital for a day and-a-half.

What was supposed to be a strong junior season for Lunn and the Rebels was quickly cut short for Lunn. McKenzie went on to win the District 13-A title and reach the Class A sectionals — one win way from a berth in the state tournament.

“It was extremely hard to miss,” Lunn said. “It was probably one of the hardest emotional things I have had to do. Coming off of what I thought was a solid sophomore season, you hear that players play their best as a junior. I had high expectations for myself.

“I didn’t expect anything to happen, but sometimes God has different plans.”

But for Lunn, it was time for recovery and to put in the work for a chance to play his senior season. After leaving the hospital, he spent the next two weeks laying on the living room couch.

“After two weeks, I could get around on my crutches, so I got back and laid in my bed,” Lunn said. “It was a lot of pain. I have never felt pain like it before.”

There was no formal physical therapy for Lunn to go through. The doctor told him getting up and walking around would get the muscle memory and bone structure the way it was. Lunn was on crutches until mid-May, but it was mid-July before he was able to completely get back outside.

“So after I got to walking around, I got back to working out after the muscle loss that happened,” Lunn said. “Then I got back to the baseball side, fielding ground balls, running bases and getting into the cage again to hit.”

The high school season wasn‘t the only time Lunn missed from baseball. He also missed summer ball, but he was strong enough to go back out for fall ball.

“I play fall ball in Martin, and that is where the real training started,” Lunn said. “I used that as a way to test myself until the real season started back.”

Through all of the hard work Lunn put in, he was ready for the second week of March and the start of the high school baseball season.

“It meant the world to me to be out there my first game,” he said. “I know missing last year hurt my teammates, but I knew they had my back through the whole process. I knew they were just as excited as I was that first game.”

McKenzie is having another strong season with Lunn at second base. The Rebels have two district games remaining, and they are undefeated in District 13-A play.

“I knew that I would help my team more on the field this year,” Lunn said. “We have the goals to win the district title and host the first region game. We want to win that and host the region championship, and then keep going from there.”

Michael Odom, 425-9754