While going through therapy following the end of last season, Randolph-Macon senior pitcher Kyle Hicks needed look no further than the play of his younger brother John to find inspiration for this year.

  Unable to play himself, Kyle watched as John and his University of Virginia baseball teammates made the school’s first trip to the College World Series.

  “It was good,” Kyle said. “I kind of rather see him do well than myself.”
  However, because he was undergoing rehab, Kyle could not travel to watch John play in person. “I told him you’d better go back this year,” Kyle said. “He said, ‘that’s the plan.’”

  “I really want to go to the College World Series this year,” Kyle said.

  R-MC head coach Ray Hedrick is not sure if John’s run inspired Kyle but the attitude of the older Hicks has changed coming into this season. “I can’t read minds but I’m sure that lit a little fire,” he said. “I mean he’s proud of his brother. They’re a very close-knit family. I do think that Kyle seeing that kind of success and seeing his brother do well- there’s a lot more there with Kyle than we haven’t seen yet. Some of it’s due to injury and some of it’s just been due to getting used to college baseball. It doesn’t matter to me what the driving force is. Just to see him the way he’s been this year is refreshing.”