Marion High School junior Cale Cannoy was getting ready for a doubleheader at DeWitt Central on June 3 when he threw a fastball in practice and knew something was wrong.

He felt tingling and pain in his left elbow. "It hurt," he said. "My pinkie went numb."

The original fears were a torn ligament in his pitching arm, which may have meant Tommy John surgery, but an MRI revealed only a partial tear and the southpaw does not need an operation.

"Hopefully it will heal itself," Marion Coach Steve Fish said. "It's bad news from a baseball standpoint as far as this season, but it's positive news for him because they said they're going to try and let it heal itself."

Cannoy won't be allowed to throw a baseball for two months, but he can serve as a pinch-runner and might be able to swing the bat with a flexible brace on his left elbow.

Cannoy has pitched for the varsity since he was an eighth grader. He had a 5-3 record and 3.07 ERA last year as a sophomore and was 1-1 with a 2.68 ERA this season, with 19 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings before the injury occurred two weeks ago.

"With Cale on the mound, we feel like we're in every game," said Fish.

Cannoy has battled a series of injuries the past few months. He suffered a concussion during the basketball season, pulled a hamstring muscle during the track season and now has the arm injury.

Cannoy also plays football for the Indians and is the leading candidate to be their starting quarterback this season. "I'm going to take the time off that they tell me to take off so I can heal from the injury and come back ready for football," he said.

He's confident he'll be ready for football. "Oh, yeah," he said. "I think I will."

Cannoy was told the results of the MRI this past Monday night. "He kind of looked like you had taken his best friend away from him," said Mike Cannoy, his father.

Cannoy has elected to stay with the baseball team, even though he cannot pitch. "I've been playing on the varsity now for four years," he explained. "I like playing with the guys.

"I'm a little bummed out," he said, "but things like this happen and I'm going to stay positive and look forward to next year."