He stood facing home plate, and asked the crowd for a little extra love before delivering the ceremonial first pitch prior to UL’s Sun Belt Conference baseball game against Troy on Friday night.

It wasn’t for the adulation, though.

Rather, it was because he needed a little extra energy before making the throw.

Former Ragin’ Cajun centerfielder John Coker, simply put, doesn’t have the leg drive he once did.

"I hadn’t thrown a baseball in years," Coker said. "And knowing that I can’t step, and follow through, I was a bit nervous I was going to bounce it up there."

Coker, an Oklahoma-based Army National Guard specialist, was horrifically wounded when his nine-member field unit found itself in a firefight during a tour of duty in Afghanistan last September.

"Out of that nine members, I lost three of my friends and two of us were wounded," Coker said after throwing out that first pitch. "God bless their family, and may they rest in peace.

"The four that held off the battle and kept the enemy away — I appreciate their lives, and what they did to give me a second chance at life.

As he describes it, an initial gunshot merely grazed his right leg. The next one, though, nearly destroyed his left.

"The second shot," he said, "hit me in my femur (bone), and shattered it, as well as nicking my sciatic nerve and my femoral artery.

"On the field, I had three tourniquets applied to suppress the bleeding. They were unsuccessful with it, so during my main surgery one of the main things they had to do was go up and cut off that femoral artery to shut off the bleeding so I could have a chance."

Six more surgeries later, amputation avoided only because of modern medical technology and the grace of God, he is walking again.

But it’s been a long, rough and winding road.

Shot on Sept. 9 2011, Coker made it back to the United States on Sept. 13 and underwent major surgery three days later.

By the 18th of that month, doctors wanted him out of bed.

But he couldn’t even stand until November, and was in a wheelchair until February. Until recently he was on crutches, but finally now he’s able to walk with the help of a boot.

"I still have lots and lots nerve damage," said Coker, who was known for his base-stealing speed and amazing catches while playing for the Cajuns from 2004-2005. "I have tons of muscle atrophy. I have four pins in my knee, a screw in my hip and a rod going through my leg."

His pain, however, goes far beyond that.

He admittedly battles depression, aided mostly by medication.

He has night terrors too.

"Emotional. Physical. Spiritual. I’ve had all kinds of battles facing this situation," he said. "Not only that, (but) I used to be an active guy, and this has really, really put me at my all-time low.

"Knowing that I used to be able run like I used to, and that was one of my assets, was my speed "»"

Coker’s voice trails as he stands under the bleachers at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field, but soon regains momentum as he talks about all the support he’s support.

That includes much from not only ex-teammates and coaches, but also Cajun fans and even classes full of Acadiana schoolchildren who have written him letters — including, if he can only get his address, the one boy whose invitation to visit he’d love to answer this weekend.

"My wife has been by my side, and I continue to pray," said Coker, assigned to Alpha Company 279, 45th Infantry Brigade. "That’s how I pretty much keep my hopes up, and keep going in life. Also, being around fans like this, and back home, and my family — it really keeps me going, and I appreciate it. I can’t thank these people enough for their prayers.

"I’m surprised to be where I am right now. The doctors weren’t predicting this fast of a comeback. "» But, at the same time, they were predicting a faster recovery with my nerves.

"I’m just going to be patient, and see where God takes me," added Coker, who calls Midwest City, Okla., home. "Who knows? Three-to-four months from now I’ll be walking a lot better."