Athlete of the Week: Gardner overcomes adversity

Colin Gardner says nothing felt right in his first two baseball seasons with Estancia High. He dealt with two injuries, the first to his right elbow and the second to right ring finger.

The first injury stopped him from playing shortstop midway through his freshman year.

“It was weird when my arm would go numb,” Gardner said. “It would just start tingling. I’m like, ‘What’s going on with this?’”

Through his doctor’s orders, Gardner needed to rest his arm. He returned the next season and he could throw without much discomfort.

Then came another injury and it ended his sophomore season with three weeks to go. This one also prevented him from throwing the ball.

The way the second injury happened was a fluke, and it squashed any hope Gardner had of playing in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.

The Eagles never made it, finishing 1½ games short of the Orange Coast League’s third-and-final automatic playoff berth. The team that ruined his hopes was archrival Costa Mesa.

Gardner never made it onto the field on April 24 against the Mustangs, that’s if you don’t count those pregame drills. Taking the cut-off throw from the left fielder is how Gardner, a third baseman, suffered the injury.

When he positioned his right hand to transfer the ball from his glove, the ball never made into his mitt. The ball hit the tips of his right ring finger and middle finger, lifting both of the nails off.

Gardner shook his hand and then looked down to see what was wrong. Blood dripped. The Eagles lost him, and then they lost to Costa Mesa, 5-4, suffering their first setback to the Mustangs in five years.

“It was kind of embarrassing,” Gardner said of seeing Estancia’s 15-game winning streak end against Costa Mesa.

“Everyone was mad because the game before that we just beat them [19-2]. So we come out and we lose a one-run game to them and everyone is kind of getting down on themselves and getting mad at each other, and I’m sitting there, like ‘Gosh! Why can’t I be playing right now?’”

The one-run game marked Estancia’s ninth of the season, seven of those it dropped.

Gardner said he could have made a difference. He is in his junior season.

The Eagles have won their first four games of the season, a doubleheader last Saturday with Los Amigos and one on Tuesday with Brethren Christian and one on Thursday with Whittier La Serna.

In the twin bill, Gardner went four for seven with two runs batted in and two doubles. He scored fives runs and stole a base, helping Estancia beat Los Amigos, 14-2, and 7-4, at TeWinkle Park.

The start is a refreshing one, especially after the Eagles began last year 2-5.

“It’s looking a lot better,” Gardner said. “Guys are a lot more energetic.”

Gardner is the one who sets the tone as the leadoff hitter.

He has reached base in a variety ways, two singles, two doubles, and he’s not afraid to take one for the team. Los Amigos hit him twice in the opener, and he drew a walk in the Eagles’ 5-0 win at Brethren Christian.

The Eagles’ home opener was on Thursday, as part of the Newport Elks Tournament. Estancia beat La Serna, 3-1, in the Orange County Division. The home game is Estancia’s only one during pool-play action. The next games are at Buena Park on Saturday at 11 a.m. and at Garden Grove on Monday at 3 p.m.

Gardner looked forward to playing at Estancia for the first time this season. There was a time in the fall that the Eagles almost had to schedule their home games on the road. The reason, Estancia Coach Nate Goellrich said, was a concern for the solar panels on top of the carports next to the field.

“They said [we broke] 14,” said Gardner, referring to last year.

“We weren’t going to be able to play home games here. We had a bunch of kids complain, like ‘That’s no fair.’ TeWinkle Park was booked. They wanted us to play at Newport Harbor or CdM on the weekends, just other district schools.”

Gardner said he would have played wherever. He just wants to play and stay healthy.

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Colin Gardner

Born: Nov. 25, 1998

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 5-foot-10

Weight: 200 pounds

Sport: Baseball

Year: Junior

Coach: Nate Goellrich

Favorite food: Steak

Favorite movie: “Saving Private Ryan”

Favorite athletic moment: “When I got pulled up to the [Long Beach Cardinals 18-and-under travel ball team] when I was 12.”

Week in review: Gardner went four for seven with two runs batted in, two doubles, five runs and a stolen base in the Eagles’ doubleheader sweep of Los Amigos.