Will Rhine strained his hip flexor the day before his junior season opener at John Carroll. It might have saved his career.

The shortstop played through that injury two seasons ago, then got an MRI after it concluded to determine where his recovery stood. It revealed a more disruptive issue: impingements in both hips, which required immediate surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process.

If it wasn’t discovered then, Rhine said, it would have been eventually. And had that been in college or the pros, it would have set him back longer — or potentially ended his playing days.

It took a few weeks into this past spring, but Rhine eventually finally felt like himself again and completed a stellar final campaign with the Patriots, whom he led to a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship on his way to being named The Aegis baseball Player of the Year.

“It was kinda questionable if I was even going to be able to play,” Rhine said. “It’s a blessing in disguise that they found it when they did.”

The Alabama commit and Gatorade Maryland Baseball Player of the Year hit .449 and got on base at a .662 clip this season for John Carroll, which boasts a few more college signees. Rhine was originally committed to Maryland, but when coach Rob Vaughn left the Terps for the Crimson Tide, the shortstop followed.

Rhine strained his hip flexor slipping on wet turf just before his junior season began. He didn’t miss time, though he now acknowledges that he wasn’t fully healthy two springs ago. Then the two hip surgeries forced him to sit out of baseball activities for about six months.

The Rhines’ kitchen became a makeshift batting cage, as a pitching machine tossed foam balls at him while he sat in a chair and gently swung a bat. When he did return, he opened this past season not playing every day or serving as the Patriots’ designated hitter. He returned to shortstop when MIAA conference play started.

He still never lost that powerful hack. It led him to becoming Harford County’s best player and has him on a path to the top league in college baseball — or the draft. Rhine participated in the MLB draft combine earlier this month in Arizona and is Baseball America’s 24th-ranked high school prospect.

“Showing people that I was back healthy — because there was probably a year and a half where I wasn’t playing 100% — was really good to see,” Rhine said.

Coach of the year

Jeff Burrows, North Harford

Burrows’ Hawks reached the state semifinals and finished the season with a 18-5 record before coming up just short of the championship — the deepest any Harford County team went in the state tournament. Burrows was also voted the UCBAC Coach of the Year by his peers.

All-County first team

Jackson Armiger, North Harford, senior, shortstop

Armiger’s 27 hits and 11 doubles were seventh and second, respectively, in the UCBAC this season, and he led the conference with 27 stolen bases.

Bryce Bauer, Havre de Grace, senior, pitcher-shortstop

Bauer, named the UCBAC Player of the Year by the conference’s coaches, led the circuit in hits and triples and was second in innings pitched and strikeouts.

Casey Carpenter, John Carroll, senior, first baseman

Carpenter, along with Rhine, anchored the infield for the MIAA A Conference champs and is a UNC Wilmington commit.

Joey Coudon, John Carroll, junior, infielder-outfielder

Rhine called Coudon, who slugged 15 home runs this season, “probably the most underrated player in Maryland.”

Kevin Emerson, C. Milton Wright, senior, outfielder

Emerson led the UCBAC in home runs this spring with five; only four other players had more than two.

Matt Hart, North Harford, senior, pitcher-infielder

Hart’s 40 1/3 innings, 1.49 ERA and 68 strikeouts were each top six in the UCBAC.

Collin Kight, North Harford, junior, pitcher-first baseman

Kight was the ace for a pitching staff that pushed the Hawks to the state semifinal game.

Tre McInnes, Patterson Mill, junior, catcher

McInnes recorded nine doubles and 21 RBIs for the Huskies.

Brooks Mueller, John Carroll, senior, pitcher

Mueller was the Patriots’ top pitcher and is committed to UMBC.

Luca Santoro, Fallston, senior, catcher-outfielder

Santoro his .455 with 24 RBIs for the Cougars.

CJ Scism, Harford Tech, senior, pitcher

Scism was named the UCBAC Pitcher of the Year by the conference’s coaches, posting a 0.70 ERA with a conference-leading 92 strikeouts over 50 1/3 innings.

Noah Thomas, Patterson Mill, senior, pitcher-infielder

Thomas’ six wins were second most in the UCBAC.

All-County second team

Reese Conley, Fallston, junior, first baseman-pitcher

Sean Ellis, North Harford, sophomore, pitcher

Mason Hemelt, Patterson Mill, sophomore, outfielder-pitcher

Zach Lane, Harford Tech, junior, infielder

Zach Loewe, Fallston, senior, outfielder

Jack Morrill, Aberdeen, senior, outfielder

Quinn Pierce, John Carroll, junior, pitcher

A.J. Rodgers, Havre de Grace, senior, infielder

Logan Scheeler, Patterson Mill, sophomore, infielder

Braxton Stocking, Bel Air, junior, infielder-outfielder

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