Brody Ulrich showed a ton of guts to even get on the field as a senior for the Guilford baseball team this spring. After undergoing surgery on his non-throwing shoulder at the end of last season, Brody had to put in plenty of work to make it back on time for the Indians’ 2017 campaign.

“After the third time my shoulder popped out, my doctor suggested I get surgery to stop it, and that would reduce the risk of it popping out again by 95 percent. If I didn’t, then there’d be an 80-percent chance that it would pop out again. I liked those odds, so I elected for the surgery,” says Brody. “That meant I couldn’t play for the summer or fall teams, but I figured that it’s alright to give up those seasons to play in the spring with the guys again. I just kept thinking about that while doing the physical therapy.”

Brody, who played shortstop for Guilford, remembers the play on which he first injured his shoulder during his sophomore year. He eventually wound up having to leave the field with the same injury three times before opting to have surgery.

“When I went to dive for the ball, I landed on my arm at an awkward angle, and it caused my shoulder to pop out. I just hit the ground with so much force that it popped it right out of the socket,” Brody says. “That’s what caused the injury again. I had a loose joint, which caused it to pop out a few times my junior year. During the State Tournament, I wasn’t able to play, but it was still a lot of fun being able to go and support the guys and to be there with the team.”

As disheartening as it was for him that he couldn’t play in states as a junior, Brody went through the rehabilitation process and felt ecstatic to rejoin his teammates on the diamond this spring.

“It was a lot of fun,” he says. “I liked getting back out there with the guys. It was so much better than just watching. It’s a fun experience to be out there and involved with everyone.”

Guilford Head Coach Brian Hayden appreciates the energy that Brody brought to his squad this year. Hayden knows that Brody’s enthusiasm was contagious among the Indians, who won 15 ballgames and advanced to the Class L State Tournament quarterfinals.

“The guys really respected how hard he worked to get back on the field,” says Hayden. “We were honest with him about having an open competition at short to start the year. He understood it, and worked his butt off to make sure the job was his when he got back. We were very proud of him for that.”

Although Brody won back his spot at shortstop, he was typically replaced in Guilford’s lineup by a designated hitter. However, Brody wanted whatever was best for his team, and so he was always there to support whoever batted for him.

“It was exciting to see the future of [Guilford High School] baseball and to be a part of helping that,” says Brody. “I gave him some input of what I’ve learned playing on this team, so I could help his game a little bit. I showed all the younger guys different ways to help out the team.”

Brody is now playing Senior Legion baseball in Guilford. Brody doesn’t plan on continuing his career in college, and so he wants to enjoy every second that he’s on the field with his teammates this summer.

“Legion has always been another thing to help the team bond together and increase that aspect of our game. We did well, because we’re a close group and liked being around each other,” says Brody. “I enjoyed playing from Little League until now, but I think this is going to be it for me. You stick with your group of guys and have fun with it, because that’s the most important thing. It’s all about making sure you’re having a good time.”