Submitted by admin on Mon, 2006-11-27 08:00. ::
After graduating from Placer High in 2004, Prewitt's freshman season at Sacramento City College was wiped out by a back injury that threatened his promising baseball career. But a strenuous physical therapy routine and an unwavering confidence have Prewitt back on track.
The second baseman/shortstop proved himself at last spring's state tournament, where he led his Sacramento City College squad all the way to the championship game.
Before the state tourney, Prewitt had seen limited time on the field, hitting .236 with 14 RBIs. Something clicked when the Panthers arrived in Fresno after winning their regional to earn a spot in among the final four teams.
Prewitt was 2-for-3 in the state title game, an 8-1 loss to Long Beach City College. He also hit a solo home run in the semifinals and was 3-for-4 with a homer in another Panthers win.
"He's had a tough road, but by the end of last season, he was playing great," Sacramento City coach Andy McKay said. "He absolutely carried us through the playoffs, especially in the final four."
College scouts took notice. Prewitt was all set to sign with perennial national power LSU before he found out that some of his junior college credits would not transfer, making him academically ineligible.
The Tigers' loss was North Carolina State's gain. The Wolf Pack were next in line with a scholarship offer and after a trip to the Raleigh campus, Prewitt was sold. The shortstop signed his letter of intent Nov. 15 to join NC State for his final two years of college baseball.
"This is what I was hoping for," the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Prewitt said. "I definitely don't have an regrets. This is exactly where I want to be."
Prewitt wasn't sure he'd get any scholarship offers last fall. He was diagnosed with a disc defect in his lower back that caused discs in his back to slip frequently and sometimes led to pinched nerves. The pain was unbearable and there was no medicine or surgery to clear up the condition.
The most viable option was a regimen of physical therapy to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles around the area. The treatment not only allowed Prewitt to play pain-free, but it also increased his overall strength.
"Redshirting turned out to be one of the best things for me," Prewitt said. "I went through a lot of pain and ended up doing the physical therapy and I still constantly do it."
"We're in the weight room at 5:30 every morning," McKay said. "We put a lot of time and energy into our weight program and Kyle's really excelled in that area."
Prewitt's bloodlines are also a big part of his success. Father Larry Prewitt, who recently took over as head baseball coach at Placer, played at the University of Pacific before going on to a pro career as a pitcher. He made it to the AAA level with the Giants organization.
"My dad was a big help since he's been through it himself and seen a lot of people go through it," Prewitt said. "Coach McKay's been a big help too. Between my dad and my coaches, it was a pretty smooth process."
Prewitt eventually hopes to follow the path of 1982 Placer grad Jeff Blauser, who was drafted out of Sacramento City by the Atlanta Braves, became a Major League all-star at shortstop and helped Atlanta win the 1995 World Series.
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