Friday was one of the most important non-religious holidays of the year. I’m not talking about Valentine’s Day — Friday was opening day of college baseball season. And opening day brought us one of those heartwarming stories that are hard to top.
On Friday morning, Auburn University sophomore outfielder Cade Belyeu’s mother, Staci Belyeu, passed away after a battle with cancer. Belyeu called head coach Butch Thompson at 7:16 a.m. and told him the news. Then he told Thompson that he wanted to play in that evening’s game.
"He said Staci wanted him to play," Thompson told the Montgomery Advertiser. "I think it was the most inspiring thing we've ever seen. Our crowd is just amazing. They absolutely sensed and knew what was going on with him... An inspiration by Cade Belyeu."
That’s one of the most appealing things about college baseball for me. The communities surrounding college baseball teams rally around the players and treat them like family. I think about last year’s heartwarming story of the support Birmingham Southern University’s baseball team received during its march into the postseason after the school shut down for good.
The community atmosphere in Auburn was even more poignant since Belyeu is a local prospect, so some of the fans likely know the entire Belyeu family. Thompson put Belyeu in the lineup after talking to the player’s dad and confirming that it would be okay.
The game remained close into the sixth inning, but the magic happened when Belyeu came up to bat in his third trip to the plate. The NCAA’s news page tells the story:
In his third at-bat, Belyeu hammered Holy Cross right-hander Nick Harnisch’s low-and-inside offspeed pitch. Tiger fans gasped after the sophomore’s swing, knowing it might leave the ballpark due to the loud crack of the bat. The crowd erupted after the ball landed over the right-center wall.
Belyeu pointed out to the spot where he hit the home run while jogging around the bases, eventually turning the point into a pumped fist. The home run was the first of the game and season for Belyeu, giving Auburn a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning.
Cade Belyeu’s mother, Staci, lost her battle with cancer this morning.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) February 15, 2025
Hours later, he homered in Auburn’s first game of the season.
Wow.
(🎥 @AuburnBaseball)
pic.twitter.com/7nyyAE03el
One commenter posted, “How can you not be romantic about baseball?” I can’t help but agree wholeheartedly.
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The young fan who caught the home run ball gave it back to the team, and Thompson presented it to Belyeu after the game. Auburn beat Holy Cross 4-1, by the way, but
“One of the most inspiring things I’ve ever seen in 32 years of coaching,” Thompson said after the game. “That is the storyline of this ball game, regardless of outcome or result. Staci wanted her son to play. I didn’t know how it would go, but he played an amazing game. It was pretty incredible.”
"That was literally the best thing I've ever seen in baseball," second baseman Eric Snow said after the game. "It means more when the kid's loving and caring in the locker room and works his butt off every day. That was literally the best thing I've ever seen."
Belyeu has a tough road of grief ahead of him. It’s been nearly five years since I lost my dad to cancer, so I know he’ll struggle. But his amazing attitude that showed up on the field on opening day demonstrates that he’ll be just fine.
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