Going into the 2019 season, junior pitcher Kenyon Yovan was bound for glory. Yovan started the year off strong, landing on the watch list for the Golden Spikes award and being named the preseason Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year.
Then, suddenly, Yovan encountered an unexpected road block.
The Ducks were taking on Texas Tech in the season opener. Yovan started the game on the mound, pitching through the first two innings before sustaining a season-ending hand injury that would later require surgery. What was once a promising season had come to a screeching halt. Yovan would utilize a medical redshirt and begin his path towards recuperation.
Meanwhile, the Ducks struggled in his absence, with a 27-29 overall record and just 10 conference victories by the end of the 2019 season.
With time on his side, Yovan spent the off-season easing his way back onto the field, undergoing rehab and increasing hand and arm movement day by day. Back in the bullpen for the first time since his injury in early December, Yovan was right on schedule for his return come the start of the 2020 season.
“I’ve never felt stronger,” Yovan said leading up to opening day. “I’m in a different mentality now and I’ve got a lot to prove.”
The Beaverton, Oregon native is still taking his recovery in stages, awaiting the opportunity to make a difference on the mound, pitching in only one of the Ducks’ 11 games thus far. But Yovan relishes other roles as well, especially his spot in the batting order.
Yovan boasts a tremendous stat line at the plate, sitting second on the team with a whopping .462 batting average.
With Yovan back in the lineup, the Ducks are playing well in the new season, riding a seven-game winning streak and back-to-back weekend sweeps into their four-game showdown with Hawaii.
“It’s been almost two years since the last time I played here [PK Park],” Yovan said following the team’s home-opening win over Nevada. “It was the best feeling to get out here and play again on this field in front of our fans.”
With their visit to Hawaii marking their final contests before meeting their first in-conference opponent, No. 6 UCLA, Yovan and the Ducks are readying themselves for a lengthy list of high-level adversaries.
If the Ducks are to be successful in 2020, Yovan will surely play a massive role. Health permitting, Yovan’s return will put him back on the map as one of the best collegiate pitchers in the nation.
“A healthy Kenyon Yovan is clearly a factor,” Ducks head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “A healthy Kenyon Yovan could easily be the best closer in the country.”
