Mount Carmel’s Ian Tosi Triumphs After Surgery in Sectional Semifinal

In the spring, Ian Tosi of Mount Carmel underwent surgery expecting a minor procedure but woke to discover he needed Tommy John surgery. The procedure required intensive rehabilitation. Fifteen months later, Tosi, a senior and Miami recruit, returned to the mound for a significant game. His efforts paid off during a Class 4A Brother Rice Sectional semifinal in Chicago.

“I’ve worked every single day of the week to come back from that surgery,” Tosi shared. “I got back in 11 months. That’s unheard of. I pushed through for my team and I couldn’t be more happy and more proud of myself for that.”

Tosi delivered an impressive performance, overcoming four errors and six hits to limit St. Laurence to four earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. This effort helped Mount Carmel secure a 12-8 victory over the top-seeded and nationally ranked Vikings.

Georgetown recruit Brady Holland and Wake Forest commit TJ McQuillan both contributed home runs for the fourth-seeded Caravan (28-10). Holland’s home run was a three-run shot. Pancho Vazquez went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Cullen Winters finished 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

It’s amazing, but we knew we were going to win,” Tosi stated. “I don’t think it’s even close to an upset. We know we’re the better team.”

Mount Carmel is set to face Brother Rice (28-10), who defeated Reavis (24-13) 7-6 in eight innings, in the sectional championship game. St. Laurence (35-3) saw their attempt for consecutive state titles end with this loss. Louisville recruit Cory Les led St. Laurence by going 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and four RBIs, while Wisconsin-Parkside commit Danny Donovan added a solo home run.

Tosi primarily held the Vikings in check, aligning with what Mount Carmel coach Brian Hurry anticipated. “He’s been through a lot the last 16 or 17 months,” Hurry remarked. “Not many people have gotten to see what he’s had to do to get back to pitch for us. I’m really proud of him.” He added, “It was a gutsy performance against a lineup that’s extremely tough to get out.”

Tosi’s journey began with an unclear diagnosis of arm soreness, which turned out to be a partial tear of the UCL in his left elbow. “They told me I just needed a repair,” Tosi noted. “When I woke up from surgery, I found out I had Tommy John, the whole reconstruction, and I was pissed. I had no idea that was going to happen.”

It took time for Tosi to accept the situation. “Getting the full thing, I’m pumped now. I’m ready to go. My arm keeps getting better and better.” Despite expectations, Tosi was ready for the season’s start, although his outings were initially limited. Now, he holds a 5-0 record with a 1.46 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings.

“The buildup has been perfect,” Tosi commented. “I always told them that I’d be ready for the playoffs. I knew I’d be able to give them five to seven innings in the playoffs and help us win.”

Holland supported Tosi with a three-run homer in the sixth inning, increasing the lead to 12-5. “We knew we needed to keep scoring,” Holland said. “I had never beaten them in four years, so this feels great.” Tosi echoed the sentiment. “It’s unreal,” Tosi expressed. “I’ve worked so hard for this moment. I got emotional when the game ended. There were so many emotions. I’m just glad I was able to help my team win.”