ANNVILLE, Pa. – If you've been to McGill Field lately, you've no doubt seen a familiar face. He's a bit younger than the rest of his Flying Dutchmen teammates but he's just as important and well-respected in the dugout.

LVC's baseball program welcomed a special member to the team for the 2015-16 campaign. He is five-year old Xavier Metrovich. And he's become a valued member of the Dutchmen squad.

Xavier, a Hershey, Pa. native, was paired with Lebanon Valley through Team IMPACT, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of a team. The acronym IMPACT stands for Inspire, Motivate, and Play Against Challenges Together, and it gives children like Xavier the opportunity to spend time on the diamond and in the dugout with a group of competitors that share his love for the game.

Xavier was diagnosed with Loeys-Dietz Syndrome (LDS), which is caused by gene mutations that affect the vascular system and increases the risk of aneurysms. It's a rare connective tissue disorder that affects the entire body but the main concern is the heart and more specifically, the aorta. At the age of five, Xavier's aorta is the size of an adult's aorta. Due to his condition, Xavier has been sedated over 20 times and he's had five surgeries.

"Xavier absolutely loves anything sports related, but due to his condition he'll never be able to participate in any contact sport, or anything that would raise his heart rate too high," said Crystal Metrovich, Xavier's mother. "Xavier has a team of eight doctors that he sees every six months for follow-ups and he receives therapy three times a week. There is no cure for his condition."

    

LVC's newest and youngest player is also one of the squad's most popular as it didn't take him long to fit in among his teammates and coaches. He's been with the Dutchmen since the fall, spending time with them both at practices and at games. The boys have also spent some downtime together off the field, including mixing it up at a local bowling alley. Prior to LVC's contest against MAC Commonwealth rival Widener on March 18, Xavier threw out the game's first pitch.

"The highlight of Xavier's week is seeing the baseball team," said Crystal Metrovich. "He absolutely adores every single one of the players. It gives him something to look forward to after having therapy or doctor's appointments. We are so thankful that LVC was so welcoming to Xavier and accepted him as their own."

Xavier has been an inspiration to the Dutchmen since he joined the group thanks to Team IMPACT back in the fall. His spark is evident as LVC has already reached the 10-win mark this season. The kindergartner's courage and positivity in the face of great odds is refreshing and admirable, and he continues to motivate all those lucky enough to cross paths with him.

And he's got a pretty good arm for a rookie utility man.