College baseball season in full swing: an injury retrospective from a senior player

Photo by Mike Janes Photography

By Talise Peele 

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - The start of the NCAA Division III baseball season began in late February, and our beloved RAMs baseball team has been working hard during their practices and playing even harder during their games. Of course, this hard work can often result in injury. Christopher Sais- A senior baseball player for the Farmingdale State College RAMs gave a retrospective on injuries that happen when playing baseball. 

Sais began playing for the FSC RAMs in 2025 as a junior but started his college baseball career at SUNY New Paltz. He has played 27 games for the RAMs and has 81 total college baseball games under his belt. Sais’ history of baseball goes as far back as his high school days. As an experienced player, Sais’ has experienced various ups and downs of his career, and here is what he had to say about injuries from the sport. 

“I was Injured going into my sophomore year of college,” said Sais. “I tore my meniscus and I needed surgery.” 

Sais also recalls having many teammates that have been injured including tears and pain in their body, but mostly in their arms or legs. According to Sais, after injury, players can do light training only after being cleared by the campuses athletic trainers. in some instances; physical therapy is required before players are allowed back on the field. When asked about common baseball injuries Sais had this to say: 

“I would say one of the most common injuries is tearing your UCL or straining your UCL.” explained Sais. “This includes getting Tommy John surgery, which is named after the pitcher that first tore his UCL.” 

The UCL or Ulnar Collateral Ligament is located on the inside of the elbow and is attached to the humorous on one side. It is made up of three divisions: the anterior, posterior, and transverse, with the anterior being the most important division. The UCL is often injured from repeated stress due to overhead movements such as throwing or pitching, two movements integral to baseball. Some signs of a UCL injury are pain on the inside of the elbow after throwing or sudden pain along the inside of the elbow. Sais says there are two times when athletes are most at risk of injuries such as this. 

“Either at the beginning of the season in the cold, or at the end of the season when their bodies are tired and muscle strains can happen.” says Sais. “Or if they’re not feeling up to it, while they’re playing the whole season, their body might break down.” 

Coaches at Farmingdale State College lead safe training for the players and stretching routines to make sure the players are ready to go for practices and games. These measures are important for minimizing the chance of injury amongst players. 

Some advice Sais would give new teammates is to understand the culture of the group, knowing what it means to be part of the team and what it means to be a home player. Make sure to support our RAMs baseball team during their 2026 season! Their full schedule for this season can be found here.