The water sat low at Round Valley Reservoir last summer and bass were scarce.
Still, on most days, Kyle McCoy was out on a modified jon boat with his closest high school friends. Maryland’s left-handed pitcher sat in the middle, while former teammate Christian Petino manned the newly-installed motor from the back.
As the sun set, LED lights wrapped around the boat’s interior, illuminating the dark waters. Goldfish wrappers, fishing poles and water bottles scattered the floor and bounced as the boat rocked.
McCoy still remembers the rush of catching his first fish during his junior year of high school. Even with the lack of bites last year, he was ready to be back on the water.
He thrust his left arm and cast the rod — a return to normalcy for the arm that couldn’t throw for six months. After undergoing Tommy John surgery following his freshman year at Maryland, McCoy could fish again.
McCoy’s rehab process reshaped his diet and training. Now a redshirt sophomore, he’s set to be one of the Terps’ leaders as the Friday night starter.
“Obviously unfortunate the injury happened, but it was a blessing in disguise for me,” McCoy said. “It gave me an opportunity to work on other aspects of myself outside of just baseball performance.”
Petino met McCoy in second grade at Copper Hill Elementary School in New Jersey. He recalled McCoy being the only student who could use scissors with both hands.
By their senior year at Hunterdon Central, the Red Devils leaned on McCoy’s arm. But a May UCL sprain sidelined him early in the 2022 state tournament.
McCoy returned for the title game, but his velocity and comfort hadn’t fully come back.
After 3 ⅓ innings, coach Kevin Cuozzi pulled him out. The senior surrendered five earned runs in a 9-8 season-ending loss.
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“He did everything he could to be in the best position he could be. Unfortunately, I don’t think he ever got back to his full health and capacity that season,” Cuozzi said.
McCoy’s injury was a partial tear, allowing him to skip surgery. He debuted for Maryland on Feb. 18, 2023, allowing one run over three innings. By late February, he became the Tuesday starter and soon joined the weekend rotation.
But his elbow discomfort returned in late April. After surrendering nine runs against Nebraska on May 6, an MRI confirmed his tear had worsened and required surgery.
He tried to manage the pain against Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament but couldn’t complete the first inning. It was his last appearance for Maryland that season.
After consulting multiple surgeons, he chose Cincinnati Reds team doctor Timothy Kremchek for his surgery in June 2023.
“Baseball consumed my life, and it was the first time I had to step back and realize that I wasn’t going to have baseball in my life for a little bit,” McCoy said.
“It was tough for me to readjust my sights on something else.”
That summer, McCoy kept himself busy with friends instead of his usual training.
He and Petino hung out at former teammate Nick Ferri’s house almost every day. The group watched thrillers and dramas in the basement movie theater while a metal brace and sling restricted McCoy’s arm.
“Knowing those guys my whole life, it makes it even better. These are guys that I’ve been through so many parts of my life with,” McCoy said.
His first milestone post-surgery was regaining range of motion, which took six weeks of stretching and light grip exercises before he could remove the brace. He then shifted to strengthening his elbow, forearm and shoulder.
McCoy threw a baseball for the first time again in December 2023. He gradually increased his throwing distance over six months, completing the program in June.
“’It’s a very boring throwing program, but it’s something that you need to get through and you need to do,” McCoy said. “It was very repetitive, day after day.”
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From the start of rehab, McCoy knew he needed to improve his diet. He rarely ate breakfast and often went long stretches without meals. He met with Terps nutritionist Paula Karamihas, who helped him develop a more structured eating plan.
Karamihas stressed the importance of breakfast and incorporating snacks to maintain consistent nutrition. She also encouraged McCoy to increase his water intake.
McCoy also focused on building strength. He worked with his surgeon and Maryland trainer Tyler Cronin to map out a plan for when to ramp up training on his left side. He hit the weight room three to four days a week and gained 20 pounds since the surgery.
“This recovery time kind of gave me a new shape and a new form on how I need to prepare before outings and how I need to take care of my body,” McCoy said.
Without the option to pitch, coach Matt Swope challenged McCoy to embrace a leadership role during recovery.
McCoy focused his energy on supporting his teammates,including right-hander Joey McMannis, who like McCoy, was thrust into a starting role as a freshman. The two spent nearly every night together at McCoy’s apartment playing poker. This year, they’re roommates in College Park.
Swope selected McCoy to be part of the team’s four-player leadership council. He described McCoy as one of the most competitive players he’s seen.
“He has that confidence and air about him that when he goes out there, he expects to win,” Swope said. “Last year, we just didn’t really have that presence there.”
On the water over the summer, McCoy envisioned this return. The patience of his year-long recovery mirrored the stillness of the New Jersey waters.
Still, he knows he won’t fully grasp the emotions until after the start.
The lefty will step onto the mound in the Terps’ black jerseys Friday for the first time in 633 days. He’s ready for the moment.
