Rensselaer Central graduate Eli Hickman embraces last year of playing baseball

LAFAYETTE ― Lafayette Aviators outfielder Eli Hickman has the look of a man at peace with the adversity he's faced during his baseball career.

Hickman, a 2020 Rensselaer Central graduate, underwent Tommy John surgery a year ago to repair the UCL in his left throwing elbow. And those words – Tommy John surgery – are the three in order that become any baseball player's nightmare.

Hickman was unsure if he'd ever get to play the game he loved again while attending Concordia University in suburban Chicago.

"You got to find yourself a little bit," Hickman said. "I think a lot of times college athletes just identify themselves as just an athlete. So when that gets taken away from you, you have to find other areas you can get joy from and find value. For me it was just being with my family a ton."

Hickman has recovered and is playing his final season of summer baseball with the Aviators and will play a fifth year for Concordia before hanging up his cleats as a player and venture into coaching baseball at the high school and youth level.

He'll follow in the footsteps of his father, Ken, who has coached multiple sports, including baseball, and is the athletic director at Rensselaer Central.

Family that has carried Hickman through both injuries and rough performances.

"I'm really proud of Eli and how hard he's worked to get back into a position to play competitive baseball," Ken Hickman said. "It's something he's enjoyed his entire life and this gives him the chance to complete his career and do it the way he wanted to as a competitive baseball player and I'm very proud of him."

It was especially hard for Ken.

After seeing the work Eli had put in being a standout player, he was forced to watch Eli rebuild himself.

"It was pretty rough because you watch your kid develop," Ken Hickman said. "He finally got to the pinnacle of his career and then when he got down there, he endured a major setback. He's always been the type of athlete who has had to work to achieve his goals so when he dealt with adversity, he had the skills to get through it because he's used to working hard."

Even on a cotton candy pink and blue sky Thursday night where Hickman went hitless, he was still jubilant and supportive of his teammates. He cheered on Parkland College infielder Nate Bingman, whose two-run double led Lafayette over the Champion City Kings, 4-2.

The joys of summer, the thrill of victory and being under the bright lights of Loeb Stadium in front of family and playing for his old club coach, Jamie Sailors, have left Eli Hickman feeling thankful before retiring as a player.

"I'm just trying to have a bunch of fun because I know I'm not going to get into pro ball," Eli Hickman said. "I got 10 months left playing this game to have as much fun as I can and be a little kid again."

Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached atehanson@gannett.com, on Twitter at EthanAHansonand Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.