Hayden Cody's Long Road Back to the Field

Moments before his first pitch in a live baseball game in a year-and-a-half, CSUN Baseball's Hayden Cody was naturally nervous.

While he wouldn't be pitching against another team but rather his fellow teammates in a fall ball inter-squad scrimmage, Cody's adrenaline was still in overdrive. After all, he was back in the same venue and on the same mound where he suffered a season-ending injury just a year-and-a-half prior.

When it was time to finally make that first pitch again. It was like time never elapsed.

"It felt like it hadn't been nearly two years of me not throwing," said Cody. "It had been a minute. That was kind of cool and I really liked that feeling."

Cody's road to recovery and pitching again for the Matadors would be a long one – a road filled with moments of self-doubt and time away from the field.
Hayden Cody Fall Ball 2022

Just a year-and-a-half before, in what would be his first game as a Matador pitcher, Cody suffered a season-ending injury after one inning of work.

After a heralded high school career highlighted by a no-hitter at his hometown Mission Viejo High School, Cody was eager to finally get on the mound in his freshman season. He would get his chance on April 4, 2021, against UC Irvine.

"On that day, I was pretty excited," remembers Cody. "I felt like all of the adrenaline pushing me through and I was giving it my all."

Entering out of the bullpen in the top of the second inning and two outs, Cody retired Nathan Church to leave two runners on base.

In the third though, UCI would tag the freshman with two runs before Cody had a chance to escape further trouble when he faced Church again with two outs.

That's when it happened.

"I remember the pitch that it happened on – it was a fastball, the first pitch of the at-bat," he recalled. "I lost all immediate feeling in my pinky and ring finger. I didn't have as much pain until the adrenaline wore off when I got home and couldn't really move my arm around."

When the injury occurred, Cody was immediately surrounded by teammates, athletic trainer Joseph Rivas, and then head coach Dave Serrano. To all onlookers, it was obvious that Cody had suffered an injury that would sideline him for an extended period.

"We all knew what happened," recalls Cody. "We knew it was torn when that pitch was thrown. Dave [Serrano] came out and assured me that everything was going to be fine. It's going to be a long road but it's going to be fine."

Cody suffered a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, which would require surgery to compete again. Commonly referred to as Tommy John surgery, the injury can require a full year to recover from before taking part in active competition.

"For me, there were a lot of negative thoughts when it happened," said Cody. "But I had a lot of people in my corner, keeping me straight."

Unlike any typical day, Cody's family could not sit in the stands for his collegiate debut. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most athletic events were held without spectators during the 2021 season.

Despite not being inside the field grounds, his family wasn't too far away.

"Luckily, my family was sitting outside the gates," said Cody. "My parents and my grandparents let me know I was going to be okay. I had a good group of people behind me that pushed me through."

Along with his family, Cody also had a big group of CSUN personnel in his corner including Rivas, who Cody cites helping him through the process and his moments of self-doubt.

"When anything bad happened, I was thinking 'oh shoot, I tore it again,' said Cody. "Joseph Rivas was a big part of helping me with the mental side of things. It's not always going to be physically good [during a recovery], but if you push through it, you're going to be in a better place."

While Cody wasn't allowed to throw a pitch for an extended period, he instead did all he could to help his team in other ways. Cody tried to push his teammates to do better with their weight training and conditioning drills. On the field, while he could not physically throw a pitch, he was an extension of the coaching staff by helping lead the younger players on the team during drills.

"My thing was trying to outdo everyone in the weight room and with condition and be kind of a coach," said Cody. "With how competitive I am, I felt I was there to kind of push some people."

During his season on the injured list, Cody did not travel with the team for road games. The experience away from his teammates was difficult but he used that time to turn to his academics.

A business management major, Cody was able to catapult his grade point average to one of the top marks on his team. Placed on the Big West Commissioner's Honor Roll last year, Cody attributes his success with his studies to his parents.

"I would cut corners when I was a kid, so my mom and dad instilled good habits like having us study with flashcards with my sister when we were little," said Cody. "That's where it comes through."
Hayden Cody Fall Ball 2022

Soon working his way back into pitching form and an opportunity to return to the team, Cody's first chance to pitch again was a memorable one.

The first batter he would face was his roommate and good friend Jakob Simons.

"When I saw him walk into the box, I had to give him a little smile because I was facing one of my friends," said Cody.

The feeling was mutual for Simons.

"It was really fun to finally see him up there doing what he loves to do," said Simons. "He had such a long road from Tommy John, and he worked very hard to get back. Some guys never come back from the injury, so to see him finally doing what he loves made me very happy."

After getting through that first hurdle, Cody had an opportunity to face a different team later in the fall when he pitched against San Diego State.

Once again, he came out of the bullpen. This time, Cody gave himself a different memory to remember.

"I had a little bit more adrenaline in me and it took a couple of pitches to settle down and find the zone," recalls Cody. "I got into a little trouble, but I ended up getting out of it. I got a double play and another groundout.

"No runs allowed," he added.

With a second hurdle cleared, Cody now sets his sights on helping the Matadors this season. Expected to be a prominent member of the pitching staff, head coach Eddie Cornejo feels he will be a big addition to the team both on and off the field.

"He had a tremulous start to his college career and has endured with a positive attitude while growing as a leader for our program," said Cornejo. "He is one of our best students academically and will have a pivotal role in our success this year.

"I have been more impressed with how good of a teammate he is and how the team responds to his daily approach," Cornejo added. "I can speak for our coaching staff that he exemplifies how a CSUN Baseball player should go about his business and how we as an institution want to be represented."

Speaking from a student-athlete and teammate perspective, Simons echoes those sediments.

"Hayden is one of the most disciplined players I've played with," said Simons. "He's honest with himself and with our teammates, and people respect him for that. The way he handled his recovery over the last year and to see where he's at now is inspiring to our team."

Twenty-two months after he suffered his season-ending injury, Cody doesn't have many goals set aside for himself this season. He is simply focused on making a difference and helping his team succeed in any way he can.

"I'm just excited to see what I can finally do with the program," said Cody. "I'm excited to go out there and compete with my teammates.

"That's pretty much it," he said.

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California State University Northridge Athletics

Hayden Cody's Long Road Back to the Field

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