Garrett Schilling had a senior baseball season at Madison Heights Bishop Foley that was worse than most anyone who plays the game. He has the metal plates in his face to prove it.

After getting struck in the face by a sharply hit line drive while standing on the mound back in April, Schilling's high school baseball career seemed over. With four plates being surgically placed into his face to repair the damage - and temporarily losing site in his left eye, baseball should have been the least of Schilling's concerns.

But Schilling is a gamer and he wanted to play again. Eventually making it back onto the field for the state tournament and even getting a short stint as a relief pitcher in one game, it was a marvel to see him as his old self back on the diamond.

"He's going to compete," Bishop Foley coach Buster Sunde said. "Every single time you put him on the mound, he's going to compete. He's very competitive and you know he's going to be at his best when he goes out there ... He's a phenomenal kid, phenomenal competitor. Every coaches dream."

With a 33-0 record on the mound dating back to his freshman year, it still was a shame that such a stellar career met such a barrier.

Yet, on Thursday night last week, the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association acknowledged Schilling's career by giving him a spot on the East All-Star team in the East-West showcase game at Comerica Park. In fact, Schilling got the start on the mound.

"It was an awesome feeling being out here representing the 36 guys from around the state," Schilling said. "The East team, it is a great group of guys - and on the West team too. We're all just kids playing baseball. But to finish my high school career playing in this game and pitching again on this mound, it's a great feeling. Hopefully I can do it again sometime."

Madison Heights Bishop Foley pitcher Garrett Schilling had surgery to repare damage to his face sustained by a line drive that struck him on April 24, 2014. (Photo courtesy of Garrett Schilling)

Besides the fact that Schilling may not have had his best night - he gave up five runs in the second inning - he was just glad to be back doing what he loves. Besides, he's obviously had worse days on the mound.

"It's all pretty much a mental thing," Schilling said. "You've just to be mentally strong. It's not what happened but how you recover from it. I think I've done a pretty good job recovering from it. It's definitely been a trip but I just have to keep moving forward."

Making everyone in the stadium hold their breath once again, Schilling nearly took another baseball to the face in the first inning after Battle Creek Lakeview’s Jake Bivens connected on a ball that went whizzing back toward Schilling. Schilling, who now wears protective glasses, was able to get a glove on the ball, which deflected to short stop and the batter was then thrown out.

There probably wasn't anyone more stirred up about the hit than Sunde, who was an assistant coach for the East that night.

"It scared me to death," Sunde said shaking his head. "I just put my head down and shook my head and said, 'Man, in 2014, Garrett became a magnet, for the baseball.' I was really worried."

But Schilling still went about his business right after, not even giving a second thought to his close call. Sunde was not surprised with the way Schilling handled it better than he did.

"When our season was coming to an end with Foley, (Schilling) wanted the ball," Sunde said. "He wanted the ball in his hand. Being that he was out for so long, he was on a pitch count. We weren't going to let him go more than 40. To have a kid to work that hard to get back to it, seeing that competitiveness, it is a great thing. It really is."

Luckily for Schilling, he still has years of baseball still in front of him, as he is signed with Xavier's baseball team.