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In November, popular club softball coach Mark Rogers suffered a devastating stroke shortly before Thanksgiving and it impacted not just him and his family, but many in the state of Arizona where he was a coach and parent of talented softball playing daughters Lex and Alannah, who have enjoyed successful prep careers at Willow Canyon High in Surprise, Arizona.
Below you can read the story we published in December about Mark’s recovery, which–very happily–was so ahead of schedule, he was released earlier this week–three weeks before he was expected to come home.
On Monday (Jan. 10), Brian Georges, the Vice President of AZ Hotshots and a coach with the organization, posted this note on a GoFundMe page organized for Rogers:
“Mark is home and starting out patient rehab to work on regaining movement and strength on the left side of his body. He spent 21 one days in ICU and about 21 days at Casa Colina, an inpatient rehab facility in California.”
“There were many miracles which occurred during this life changing event,” Georges continued. “Once Mark was transferred from ICU to inpatient care his progress was nothing short of amazing and we made it home 3 weeks earlier than the doctors predicted. Mark still has a long road to go, but we are home and together as a family. Mark is ready to take on this next challenge.”
However, it wasn’t until Thursday that Georges was able to see his fellow Hotshots coach in person and it was an emotional reunion.
“Seeing Mark this morning, for the first time, since I saw him off in an ambulance on November 21st, brought tears to my eyes and filled my heart with joy,” says Coach George.
“Mark can raise his left arm halfway up and extend his left leg outward and it’s nothing short of a miracle that he is home and recovering at a fairly rapid rate. Personally, I attribute a good part of his recovery to the awesome people that support him and his family!”
He continues:
“Thanks to so many awesome people inside and outside the softball community, Mark, (wife) Amy, Lex, and Alannah will been able to focus on his healing and recovery process, without stressing over how they are going to put food on the table. God bless such amazing people!”
*****
Coach News: Well-Liked AZ Hotshots Coach Mark Rogers Suffered “Massive Stroke” Watching Daughter Pitch at Event… GoFundMe Set Up to Cover Medical Costs
Originally published Dec. 22, 2021 on Extra Inning Softball
Mark Rogers was a key figure during the COVID pandemic for the AZ Hotshots organization as he engineered everything including the virtual fastpitch platform allowing players to get exposure and even scholarships.
“That wouldn’t have happened without Mark,” says Hotshots coach and leader Brian Georges.
A former club coach with the Arizona Athletics and the AZ Bombers and a tech worker in a small business, Mark has also been a proud parent of two daughters who’ve shined in softball: Lex, who is the all-time hits leader at Willow Canyon High in Surprise, Arizona, and Alannah, a senior this year who looks to break her older sister’s record (even with missing the 2020 season due to COVID).
Extra Inning Softball profiled Alannah in Sept. 2020 in an article titled: 2022 Multi-Sport Athlete Alannah Rogers… Good Things Come in Small Packages, Even In Softball (& Wrestling)! Click on the title to read it.
Also, last Spring, she was named an Extra Inning Softball 1st Team High School All-American after leading Willow Canyon High in Surprise, Arizona to the Arizona Class 5A state championship as she batted .573 with 31 RBIs, 12 doubles, five triples, a .648 on-base percentage and had only four strikeouts in 91 plate appearances. She also was outstanding on defense, committing only two errors all season.
A well-respected figure in Arizona softball, Mark suffered a scary stroke the weekend before Thanksgiving this year and looks to be hospitalized for several more months.
With his wife Amy, a school teacher, by his side this whole time, the family is in a tough financial situation with both Mark and Amy not working currently.
“I can’t imagine the expenses they are incurring,” said Coach George earlier today, “and with all the rehab they’re facing, they will have unpaid portions of their medical bills.”
Extra Inning Softball supports the GoFundMe that has been established and encourages anyone in a position to do so to help make a donation for his recovery.
Here is the situation as of today according to Coach George…
*****
The end of the Fall was insane!!! Literally INSANE.
With five minutes left to play in our grueling recruiting season, my good friend Mark Rogers suffered a sudden, massive stroke while watching his daughter, Alannah, pitch November 21 at The TCS Don Battles On tournament in Riverside, California.
Luckily, there was an EMT on hand and first responders on the scene in minutes, thanks to the staff at Ayala Park.
He had bleeding on the brain and cerebral fluid was building up so they put a stent in to drain the fluid and he had it in over two weeks before it was removed.
Mark has been in the ICU at Pomona Medical Center since November 21st. He actually got out of ICU a couple days ago—we were originally estimating he was going to be in through Christmas—and is now in a rehab center. The goal is to get him home in Arizona if all goes well in his rehab before March, hopefully by end of January or early February.
I started a GoFundMe page for the family as Mark and his wife will be out of work for months.
Click HERE to go to the GoFundMe page.
Alannah returned to Surprise, Arizona as this is a big year for her; she’s started wrestling again after winning state in Softball last Spring.
She is holding steady with a 4.5 GPA and has a great scholarship to attend Louisiana Tech… but it’s a long road ahead now.
Brian Georges
AZ Hotshots Gold Head Coach
Vice-President of AZ Hotshots Fastpitch
Here’s video of when Mark was recently moved out of ICU into a rehab center…