Despite facing many hardships, Tigers pitcher Chris Durham keeps on grinding

Four years ago, if you would have told Chris Durham where he would be today, he just might have called you crazy. Durham, a redshirt junior pitcher on the Memphis baseball team, graduated from nearby Christian Brothers High School in 2014, where he was recognized with all-state honors his senior year.  

Initially, Durham decided to play collegiately at Central Arkansas University. After spending two seasons with the Bears, he decided to transfer back home to the city where he was raised. While a local kid returning home to suit up for his hometown program certainly seems like a feel-good story, the journey for Durham has been a trying one.  

“After being at Central Arkansas for two years, I wanted to be back home and to play with my brothers,†Durham said. “I grew up in Memphis, and a lot of the kids I grew up with were playing at Memphis. I pitched a good amount at Central Arkansas, but I decided to sacrifice that and sit out a year at Memphis to be able to come home and play with them.â€Â 

For anyone who has been a part of a sport for as long as someone like Durham has, they understand that injuries are an unfortunate reality that come along with everything else, for better or worse. While he knew he’d be forced to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules, an ACL injury at that same time meant that he would have to wait even longer to take the field in tiger blue. 

After returning from his first ACL tear, a recovery time that typically takes anywhere from 8-12 months, Durham thought he was finally primed to make his Memphis debut. Prior to opening day in what would have been his first year of eligibility after choosing to transfer, the left-handed pitcher suffered the exact same injury that had just kept him on the shelf for the longest stretch that he had ever been away from the game. 

“It means the world to be healthy and back out on the field with my brothers,†Durham said. “It was hard having to sit out those two years, but I just tried to build off it and get better each day to get ready for this year. The second time through, it is one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through mentally and physically because my body was so beat up.â€Â 

After failing to qualify for their league tournament a season ago, Durham and his teammates are highly motivated to prove their doubters wrong and piece together a memorable run.  

“I feel good about our chances in the AAC,†Durham said. “We’ve been playing really well recently. We just came off a road sweep at Western Kentucky, and now we’re preparing for conference play starting in a couple weeks. Last season we struggled in conference, but there’s something about this team that is special, and I think we can go a long way.â€Â 

While his sights are set on helping his club achieve their goals for this year, Durham isn’t taking that opportunity for granted after everything he’s been through.  

“A goal for myself would definitely be stay healthy,†Durham said. “But I also want to help my teammates become better players and people on and off the field. Our team goal is Omaha at the end of the season, so saying that as a team gives us that edge to stay focused and keep working harder to reach our goal in the end.â€Â 

With only one non-conference game left, a road date at Southeast Missouri on Tuesday, the Memphis Tigers baseball team is gearing up for the stretch run of its campaign. They currently sit two games above .500 at 10-8 and open league play with a three-game series at Wichita State from March 22-24.