Brooks Roaldson out for the season, still supporting the Jays

After delivering a 6-0 shutout to the Hazen/Beulah hockey team on Jan. 29, Brooks Roaldson skated off the ice thinking his shoulder was going to have a nice, big bruise on it underneath all the padding.

Come to find, three and a half months later, the injury was a little deeper than the Jamestown High School junior first thought.

"Initially I heard the pop and there was some pain but I really didn't notice anything after that," Roaldson said. "I thought I just kind of bruised my shoulder from the impact and playing hockey, you just kind of think it's another bruise and it will be fine.

"It wasn't until I started throwing a baseball that it hurt."

The nagging pain sent Roaldson on the injured-athletes-trek to Jamestown Regional Medical Center. An MRI revealed that Roaldson had in fact been playing baseball with a torn labrum.

A shoulder labral tear is an injury to the ring of cartilage in the shoulder joint. Doctors agreed Roaldson could still play if he wanted because he was not at risk to tear or injure the muscle more.

After playing a few more games for head coach Jack Bowman, Roaldson said hitting was still tolerable but throwing deep balls from the outfield caused some major pain in the shoulder area.

Roaldson underwent surgery on May 6 at JRMC.

The junior is not to engage in contact sports for up to three months. After six months, right around the time hockey starts back up, Roaldson should be cleared to resume full-contact sports.

The 2021 season marked Roaldson's first year of high school-level baseball, having missed out on his freshman season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a sophomore, Roaldson swung for .319 for an on-base percentage of .372. Defensively, Roaldson wrapped up the spring with a fielding percentage of .893. He only committed three errors in right-field.

Roaldson also suited up for Sam Joseph and the Jamestown Post 400 American Legion team last summer. Roaldson batted .354 and had an on-base percentage of .446. Roaldson drove in 19 and scored 21 runs for the Eagles.

The Eagles won its second straight West Region title last summer but fell just short of Wahpeton in the state title game.

This spring, Roaldson played seven games for the Jays. The junior was clean out in the field with no errors recorded, despite the pain he experienced while throwing.

Roaldson will spend the next six weeks in a sling as it is believed that it takes at least four to six weeks for the labrum to reattach itself to the rim of the bone.

Following the time in the sling, Roaldson said he will be spending some time in physical therapy working to regain mobility and strengthen his shoulder and arm muscles.

"I am just going to trust the doctors and physical therapists and what they think is the best recommended time," Roaldson said. "I am just going to do my best to strengthen it and heal it along the way and do the best I can to get back."

While he is missing out on playing the back half of the spring baseball and American Legion baseball seasons, Roaldson did manage to get through two of his sports seasons without any injuries.

Roaldson is a two-year starter for the Jamestown soccer crew and had the capabilities to switch between the defender and forward positions. As a sophomore, Roaldson did not tally any individual points, but in the fall of 2021, the junior knocked in his first career goal and was credited with an assist.

Roaldson really came into his own out at Wilson Arena. He is a two-year varsity team member for Matt Stockert at the forward position.

John M. Steiner

As a sophomore, Roaldson was individually ranked 95th in the state for total scoring, having put 12 points on the books. Due to multiple athletes having the same number of points following the season, 12 points was the 25th most points tabulated.

Grand Forks Central alum Braden Panzer led the 2020-21 season with 66 total points earned.

"During my sophomore season — it was definitely kind of new being in that situation — I was decently young coming into a pretty fast pace of hockey," Roaldson said. "It took me a couple of games to get used to but once I did it was a lot of fun. It was nice playing at that high of a level."

More reps just made him that much better for his junior season.

Roaldson tallied 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 total points earned across his 27 games played. He was the third-leading scorer on the Blue Jay team, behind Nolan Nenow and Hunter Nelson, who nabbed the state's top-two scorer spots at 65 and 50 points.

In the state, Roaldson was tied with Grand Fork Red River's Mickey Coleman and Zachary Moser of West Fargo Sheyenne for the 10th most points scored in a season.

While he won't be competing for the Jays — or Eagles this summer — Roaldson said he will be a frequent flyer at Jack Brown Stadium. As the Jays enter the final month of their season, Roaldson said he will be in the dugout working to be a positive impact on the bench.

"Sometimes you get your head down and you need that person to pick everyone up and I am just trying to be that person and keep a positive attitude on the bench."

Roaldson has never suffered a major injury in his last two seasons competing at the varsity level.

"It's definitely motivational losing most of my baseball season and it's motivating me to be better at everything I can," Roaldson said of the injury. "I am just going to do the best I can (next year) and see where it goes from there.

"I just want to thank all of the staff at JRMC and (athletic trainer) Nolan Love and (physical therapist) Cody Champagne for all they've done — I am very appreciative."