by Tucker Terranova
In baseball and in life, everything can change in an instant.
Brendan Ott knows that better than most.
It was January 18, 2024 – a date he won’t forget. The recent St. Anthony’s graduate had just wrapped up a Thursday afternoon workout and joined some friends for a pickup basketball game. Basketball had always been part of his DNA – a passion that rivaled even his love for the diamond.
Then came a move he’d made a thousand times before, but this time, something felt off.
Ott heard a crack in his knee. At first, he shrugged it off, thinking it was nothing serious. He tested it, bent it, walked on it. No sharp pain. No swelling yet. He went home thinking he’d be fine.
But by that night, the pain worsened. The swelling grew. A long weekend of worry followed.
On Monday, he went to Orlin & Cohen for an MRI. He had already drawn college interest as a pitcher, topping out at 86 mph the previous summer, giving him extra anxiety about the visit.
Then came the results: a completely torn ACL, torn medial meniscus, plus sprains to his PCL and MCL. In short, he had blown out his left knee.
Just like that, Ott watched years of hard work – and a dream – slip away.
“The feeling of my heart dropping into my stomach is a vivid one,” Ott said. “I remember seeing my parents in tears, but I wasn’t for a little while because I just couldn’t believe what had happened. All the hard work I had put in to fulfill my dream of playing college baseball was gone.”
Brendan Ott (St. Anthony’s 2025) fielding the ball nicely in the hole at short. Also threw 83 MPH to first base. pic.twitter.com/3EEoZw3SY6
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 21, 2023
Ott, now staring down months of rehab, found himself in unfamiliar territory. For as long as he could remember, sports had been his world. A standout three-sport athlete at St. Anthony’s, one of Long Island’s most competitive private schools, Ott’s life always included some sort of athletics.
He was the starting safety on the top-ranked football team in New York, a contributor on varsity basketball, and projected to be a factor of the baseball team, which went on to capture the NSCHSAA championship that spring.
“I never had a break or time off from playing sports as this is what I loved to do. It didn’t matter what sport I was playing, I just loved to play and compete.”
Ott went into shock. The pain was one thing, but the uncertainty was another. He kept asking himself the same question over and over: Why me?
That mindset didn’t last long. His older brother, Ryan, snapped him out of it with a few simple words that stuck as he was about to undergo surgery: “This is just a minor setback for a major comeback.”
The next day, Ott began physical therapy at The Schwarz Institute in Massapequa, working with Bill Schwarz and Mike Vaiano. He committed to a relentless routine – three in-person sessions a week, five total days of exercise – each rep bringing him a step closer to the only place he wanted to be: back on the mound.
Six months post-surgery, Ott did just that.
He returned to the diamond late that summer, making two appearances for MVP Baseball, his travel team. Over six innings, he found a rhythm, and with it, a renewed sense of purpose. Just being out there again was surreal.
For those who know him, though, it wasn’t a surprise.
“Ott is as resilient as they come,” said his coach, Pete Kritikos. “He never gave up or wavered, even after multiple injuries. He just got right back up and did whatever it took to get back on the field.”
Ott entered his senior year not just eager to return to the field, but to rekindle his college recruiting journey. Even during rehab, his athletic resume had turned heads – a standout football player, he had drawn interest from Division II and III programs but still wanted to pursue baseball.
On October 11, he finally made his return to the football field, and it was everything he had missed.
“I remember the feeling of being back out on that field during warmups,” Ott said. “The fans in the stands, my teammates all around me – it was something you can’t get back. I’ll never take that for granted.”
A few plays in, he made his first tackle. The nerves were gone. The adrenaline kicked in. He felt like himself again.
And then, just as quickly, everything unraveled.
On the sixth play of the game, Ott went down after a tackle, this time clutching his knee.
The pain and fear were familiar.
He had torn his ACL again, this time in his right knee.
“As soon as I went into the medical tent, I told my parents I couldn’t do it again,” Ott said. “I couldn’t get surgery again. I said I was done playing sports.”
The emotional toll was immediate. His comeback, the hopes, and dreams were all gone in an instant. He spent the next week and a half in a fog, unsure of who he was without competition.
But then came clarity sparked by a conversation with his parents and some reflection.
“I realized at that moment that the reason I was so upset about these devastating injuries is because of how important sports are to me and how much I love playing,” he said. “I’ve competed my whole life. I don’t know what it’s like not to.”
That realization changed everything.
He scheduled surgery and recommitted to his rehab, resetting his focus on one goal: returning to the baseball field for his senior season.
“My mindset shifted to: ‘I’ve been dealt a bad hand, but I need to make the best of it to achieve my dreams. Things can always be worse.’”
With little recent game film and having missed the most crucial summer recruiting period, Ott faced another uphill battle. Still, he wasn’t ready to give up. He compiled the footage and stats he did have and reached out to college programs, hoping someone would take a chance.
In late October, Ott heard back from Yogi Lutz at Alvernia University. After watching video of Ott online and being intrigued by what he saw, Lutz was interested in giving him a shot. After a visit to campus, Ott felt a spark as well.
“My family and I returned home that night, and the next day was the day before my second surgery,” Ott said. “We all sat down and talked about how much we loved Alvernia, Coach Lutz, and the baseball program. At that moment, we all looked at each other, and I said, ‘This is the place I want to be.’”
Against all odds, including two torn ACLs and countless doubts, Ott had achieved his dream: a commitment to play college baseball.
Still, signing a pitcher coming off two major knee injuries is a gamble. But those who know Ott don’t see it that way.
“Watch how much he’ll excel now that he’s healthy and playing baseball at the next level,” said Kritikos. “He’s a superior athlete just scratching the surface.”
For Ott, the decision felt easy. Alvernia offered everything he wanted: a winning program, a head coach who believed in him, and a top-tier physical therapy staff to support him along the way.
It felt like home. And after everything he’d been through, Ott finally knew where his comeback would continue.
Ott attacked his second recovery with the same determination he brought to the field, fully committed and fueled by those around him.
“Between my parents driving me 30 minutes to rehab and my friends always checking in on me, it meant the world to have people supporting me and being there every step of the way,” he said.
But it wasn’t just about getting back for himself, he felt he owed it to his school.
After spending two seasons as the starting shortstop and a pitcher on St. Anthony’s JV team, Ott never truly got his varsity shot. Injuries robbed him of that chance, but he was determined to suit up at least once more as a Friar.
Head coach Paul Parsolano made sure Ott remained a core part of the team, even when he couldn’t take the field. He showed up to every workout and every game.
“Brendan is an absolutely spectacular kid and athlete,” Parsolano said. “He was a real team guy, and I believe if healthy, he was good enough to play three different sports at the Division I level. I know he’s going to do wonders at Alvernia.”
Ott returned to the mound late in the 2025 season, making a handful of appearances – throwing with a brace strapped around his knee.
Now preparing for his freshman year at Alvernia, Ott sees everything he went through not as a setback, but as fuel. He knows he’s only scratched the surface of his potential and he’s determined to prove that the best is still to come.
More importantly, he hopes his journey can serve as inspiration for others facing similar obstacles.
“My advice to any athlete going through a devastating injury that threatens their future is simple: have faith, trust the process, stay involved, and protect your mental health,” Ott said. “Surround yourself with positive people. Read and listen to inspiring stories. I know it’s devastating not being able to do what you love, but time away from the game will remind you just how much it means. You will come back. And you’ll be better than before.”
Ott was never handed a clear path. He was never given guarantees or shortcuts. There were moments when walking away might’ve seemed easier and doubt and pain clouded everything.
But he didn’t quit.
So when he takes the mound this spring, wearing the Alvernia uniform and looking out toward home plate, it won’t just mark the start of a new chapter, it’ll be the realization of a dream that once felt out of reach.
A dream he refused to let go.
