Hayden Revels misses title run dealing with serious medical issue

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -At 6′3″ 215 pounds, Hayden Revels makes for a pretty good cleanup hitter! He was hitting .364 with 23 RBI and 2 homers until his time on the diamond came to a screeching halt after the team’s first round playoff game with Jay.

”Before that game, my arm was swelled up, and we were like, ‘Okay this ain’t good, but we’re still going to play.” Hayden says.

His best friend Trent Pilcher, knew something was off. ”He was supposed to pitch that game. He said, ‘Man, my arm, it just doesn’t feel right,’ and I looked and it was just swollen up big. I noticed it was a little discolored, and I said, ‘Man, you really need to go get that looked at. I hate to say it, but that’s more important than this game right now.”

Hayden didn’t pitch, but he did play in the game. Afterwards, they headed to the hospital.

“They did an ultrasound where they saw I had a blood clot in my arm.” Revels told us. It turns out Hayden had Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a life threatening issue. “So they sent me up to UAB to have surgery and get my first rib taken out up here.”

The surgery caused Hayden to miss the Blue Devils regional championship win and their trip to the state tournament.

”You don’t ever want to see that happen to any kid at any time,” says Holmes head baseball coach Jeromy Powell “but to see that happen to him at the end of the year, like it did, and knowing where we were at the end of the season, it put a little fear in all of us about not having him to protect Colby in the lineup.”

“He was hitting the ball really good at the time, and I just hated to see him go down like that being my teammate and my friend.” says Pilcher.

But the team kept Hayden as close as it could through the rest of the post season. “I’d made up my mind.” coach Powell said. “We are going to get his jersey, and continue to carry it with us throughout the rest of the season, and I think there was just something special there with us. Having that jersey there every game.”

And even a video chat after the 1A state semifinal win! “Watching all them play, that hurt. It didn’t hurt, but it was like, ‘Dang, I can’t be there with them,’ but watching them win it was really great.”

“We were just trying to do it for him. I feel like that was one of our main deals. He was the biggest part of our win I feel like.”

Maybe not physically with his teammates, but in their hearts as they won their first state title.

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