HUNTINGTON, Ind. (WANE) – As the head baseball coach at Huntington University for the last 38 years, Mike Frame has seen about everything. However, neither the coach nor his family could have anticipated what the last two years have been like for the man who has guided the Foresters to over 900 wins in just under four decades.

Frame was hospitalized on Thanksgiving Day in 2020 and later diagnosed with COVID, eventually developing pneumonia. He then suffered from blood clots, including one in his heart the size of a baseball – a clot that almost cost coach his life. Later, a clot in his right heel caused his foot to die, leading doctors to amputate his right foot.

After spending almost two months in the hospital, Frame missed the entire 2021 season while he recovered.

Determined to return to the field in 2022, Frame was with the team in Arizona early in the season when he was struck in the left calf by an errant throw. He suffered a hematoma and required immediate attention, as doctors were fearful they might have to amputate his left leg.

While he eventually made a complete recovery from the incident, Frame has had to step away from the majority of on-field coaching for the rest of the 2022 season for safety purposes. He watches every home game from the safety of his Forester-green pick-up truck, perched on a hill overseeing the action in center field, while his son and long-time assistant coach Thad Frame leads the charge on the diamond.

For Mike Frame, one of the biggest obstacles of being semi-sequestered is that he isn’t able to interact with his players as frequently. In truth, Frame has spent the last 38 years building a culture more so than a baseball program, as the coach serves as both a friend and father figure to those that suit up at Forest Glen Park.

Despite being among the top 10 active NAIA baseball coaches in career wins, Frame says his legacy will always be the relationships he’s been able to cultivate as opposed to the numerous championships his teams have claimed on the diamond.