Top tier pitching talent joins Monarchs

Former Division 1 pitcher comes to Valley looking to make a difference.

By Nicholas Orozco, Sports Editor

Monarch pitcher Brett Edwards suffered torn ligaments in his elbow in August of 2021. Recovering from Tommy John surgery, his fastball tops out at 87 mph, 5 mph less than his top speed. The surgery was named after the former major league pitcher. The average recovery time is 9-12 months, with an 80-90% recovery rate. ( Griffin O'Rourke | Valley Star )

With a personal record of 92 mph on the mound, former Cal State San Luis Obispo baseball player Brett Edwards is looking to bounce back from a career changing surgery and help the Monarchs reach new heights.

The Santa Monica native who moved to the central coast to play baseball for the Mustangs. Having recently transferred to Valley College, the pitcher hopes to elevate the program by bringing a new type of energy.

“I’ve seen what it takes to get to that level,” said Edwards. “I wanna bring that here.”

The 20 year old has been playing baseball since he was four years old. Once he reached Pony, he earned a roster spot on the Santa Monica Pony Little League team that went to the Pony Little League World Series. Hitting .375 in 16 games, Edwards also had a chance to pitch in the finals against Puerto Rico.

Gaining traction as an athlete, powerhouse high-school programs like Harvard Westlake and Notre Dame began to notice him. Programs that turn out top-tier talent. Edwards decided to stay close to home and play for Santa Monica High School.

“To be in Santa Monica. It was a place I knew I’d be comfortable.” said the 20-year-old.

His career in high school was one for the books. As a senior with a shortened season due to COVID-19, he notched a 3-1 record with a stingy 0.28 ERA with 36 strikeouts over 25 innings.

Edwards did not enjoy his short time at Cal Poly, so he left following his redshirt season. The pitcher felt his arm was being overused which he feels contributed to his Tommy John surgery.

“We just threw so much at practice,” said the righty. “It was a lot of wear and tear and definitely could have been added to my elbow [injury].”

Tommy John surgery, is required once ligaments in the elbow have been overused and torn. In his case the entire ligament was torn and Edwards said “it was just not there.”

“They basically told me the whole ligament was off the bone,” said the new Monarch. “The back part of my bone [elbow] was just not there.”

With the pandemic and surgery it has been 14 months since he has been able to throw off the mound.

“It’s been one of the hardest things I have had to go through,” said the freshman. “I went from working out a bunch and playing baseball and throwing every day, to not even being able to extend my arm.

Edwards selected Valley for multiple reasons. An old friend, Miles Gravelle, is a catcher currently on the roster, pitching coach Josh Goosen Brown also had Tommy John surgery and the reputation of the Monarch program drew him to the team.

“He’s a big worker,” said head coach Dave Mallas. “Since he’s been here, he’s worked his tail off to get healthy and back to where he needs to be.”

With the addition of Edwards, the coaching staff said pitching will likely be one of its strengths this year, Edwards is happy to be here.

“I’ve never been this excited before to play baseball,” said Edwards.