Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Blue Raider Pitcher Austin Cheeley Honors Late Father in Final Outing of 2020
3/27/2020 4:50:00 PM | Baseball, BRAA
March 7, 2020. Austin Cheeley made his way off the bus and headed into the ballpark at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C for the second game of a three-game set against national power Coastal Carolina. It's a routine he's followed for all of his life. After all, there isn't a more routine game than baseball. It's a love for that routine that pushes him forward every day. It's the same routine that was instilled in him as a small child by his biggest fan: his father, John. John always made sure to get to work early so that he could make it to all of his son's games growing up. But now, for the first time, the 6-foot-8-inch right-hander had to break away from the routine. On March 7, it was the game that John Cheeley would be watching his son pitch closer than he ever had before.
Growing up in St. Louis, Austin and his father were always together. Whether it was hitting baseballs in the grass lot of the Catholic Church by their home, or if John was showing his son a new magic trick after they'd finished with movie night, it was an inseparable bond that only grew stronger as the years rolled by. But the biggest thing that strengthened the bond between John Cheeley and his son Austin and daughter Ally was sports.
"My dad's whole life revolved around me playing baseball and my sister playing soccer," Cheeley said. "He was always the one that reinforced my love for the game."
The positive reinforcement and the laughs they shared throughout Cheeley's childhood gave the St. Louis native the foundation to become a college athlete. After graduating from Lutheran South High School, Cheeley committed to Jefferson College where he went on to become a two-time first-team all-conference selection while posting 12 wins and six saves as a sophomore last season. While his sophomore season was one for the books, it was one that almost never happened.
On a morning in December 2018, Cheeley's phone went off. He grabbed it and saw the screen lit up with his sister Ally's name. "I need you to come meet me for lunch," said Ally. "I need to talk to you." For his 16-year old sister to say something like that, Cheeley immediately knew that something was wrong. Unfortunately, he was right.
"I just wanted to let you know that Dad has cancer," his sister said. "It's stage-four bladder cancer."
After experiencing a couple months of pain, doctors found a cantaloupe-sized tumor in John's bladder, which was one of the largest they'd seen, especially given that John was only 45-years old at the time of the diagnosis. The cancer had already spread and was beginning to eat away at his right hip-bone.
"As soon as I was told that he was diagnosed, I went into a parking lot and was crying," Cheeley said. "I wanted to give up baseball. I wanted to give it up and take care of him."
For John, the last thing he wanted was for his son to hang up his spikes, to quit playing the game that they spent nearly 20-years bonding over.
"When I got back to the house, the first words my dad said to me was 'you're not quitting baseball,'" Cheeley said.
Cheeley took those words to heart. Over the rest of his sophomore season, he fought alongside his father. The game that brought them both so much joy gave John something that made him smile and lifted his spirits through all of the pain and the treatments.
Though it was a year to remember, Cheeley had already committed to Middle Tennessee before his father's diagnosis.
"When I committed and told him that (current Blue Raiders) Adam Link and Austin Hicks were coming to Middle Tennessee, as well, the first thing dad did was take us out to dinner," Cheeley said. "During the meal, something that I'll always remember is when he turned to Adam and Austin and said 'You don't know how much this means to a dad knowing his son is moving five hours away for the first time in his life and he gets to go with his two best friends. It's really comforting for me.'"
"Those words have stuck in my mind every day," Cheeley said.
After arriving in Murfreesboro, Cheeley learned quickly that he had a whole lot more than his two best friends as a support group to lean on. The family environment that he leaned on became ever-so evident on the Friday of what became the Blue Raiders final road trip of their shortened 2020 season. On Friday, March 6, Cheeley's phone lit up again. It was a text from his mother, Christina, saying to call his sister as soon as the team got to the bus.
Austin picked up the phone and hit his sister's name. She answered.
"I know this is going to be tough to hear, but dad passed away this afternoon," she told him.
Everything went numb. The bus was dead silent. Tears ran down Cheeley's cheek. Middle Tennessee catcher Jake Hagenow sat down next to Cheeley and hugged him. Cheeley told his battery mate what had just happened. The man that threw him pitches in the grass lot of the church and showed him how to grip a curveball had all of a sudden been taken away. Moments after spending time at the ballpark and going through the same routine his dad taught him, he realized that routine would never be the same. If there's one thing he learned from the game, it's that he and his father loved it just as much as they loved each other. If there was any solace in the moment when the junior hurler's world came crashing down, it's that he immediately knew that his dad would be watching him pitch against from the best seat in the house.
"I told my mom that dad would want me to stay here with my team," Cheeley said. "I know he wouldn't want me to miss my next game and miss baseball. I told my coaches 'hey, I'm going to stay for tomorrow's game. If you need me, use me. If not, I don't want this to influence any decisions for the game. But I have made the decision to fly home Sunday to be with my family.'"
"Over Christmas break, I remember (my dad) said goodbye I love you seven different times before I left," Cheeley said. "I remember thinking this might be the last time I ever get to hug him."
As soon as the team stepped off the bus, every single player on the roster stood in line to hug their brother. It was more support than Cheeley could ever have asked for in a moment when he needed them most.
March 7 was the biggest day of Cheeley's baseball life. Bigger than the day he made his college debut. Bigger than the first time he stood on a mound to pitch. Bigger than the time's that he had to stand up for what his dad wanted and deal with the nasty remarks he heard from fans on the road. It was a chance to honor the memory of his father against one of the biggest national powers in all of college baseball. This time, all eyes were on him. Including the eyes of his father.
Before the first pitch was thrown that day, Cheeley's MTSU teammates organized a moment of silence for the memory of his father. In Cheeley's mind the memories of all of the late-afternoon practices and truck rides home from the park darted around as he tried his best to hold back the tears. As soon as the music dropped for the anthem, the switch flipped. For the umpteenth time, and what felt like the first time, it was time for Austin Cheeley to play baseball.
The third inning was plenty enough evidence of that, as the Blue Raider bats came alive. Middle Tennessee exploded for 10 runs off of Chanticleer starter Scott Kobos, swatting four home runs in the inning. MTSU starter Peyton Wigginton mowed down the Coastal Carolina offense, lasting eight innings while giving up four runs and earning six strikeouts. With a commanding lead, Blue Raider pitching coach Kyle Bunn turned and looked over his shoulder.
"Cheeley, go get loose," he said. For three innings, Cheeley stretched and warmed up as Wigginton continued to go strong. Finally, in the top of the ninth inning, Cheeley got the call he'd been waiting his entire career for. His teammate, Zach Keenan, handed Cheeley the walkie-talkie.
"Cheeley if you're up for it, you've got the ninth inning," Bunn said. "Coach, it's a baseball game, of course I'm up for it, we've got to win this game," Cheeley replied. "I knew that's what you'd say, I just wanted to let you know I love you," Bunn radioed back.
The 6-foot-8-inch right hander slid his glove onto his hand and began the long trot out to the mound. When he got to the edge of the infield, he questioned whether or not he left the bullpen at the right time. Cheeley stopped and looked to his left. His teammates lined the top step of the dugout staring out at him. He continued out to the mound and a hush came over the crowd. The PA system came on. "Now on the mound for the Blue Raiders, number 46, Austin Cheeley."
As the inning went on, Austin Cheeley wasn't hearing heckling from the Chanticleer crowd. With every out, the cheers grew louder for him as he worked to shut the door against one of the Blue Raiders toughest opponents of the year. Two up, two down. The count was 2-0 to Coastal Carolina pinch hitter Brian Port. The St. Louis native began his windup and fired. Port sent a pop-fly high above the infield. MTSU shortstop Fausto Lopez camped underneath it and made the catch to record the game's final out.
"Once I got the last out I looked to the sky and by the time I looked down I had tears in my eyes and Jake Hagenow was right there ready to hug me and I turned around to see the rest of the team circling the mound ready to hug me," Cheeley said. "It was a moment I'll never forget. I know (my dad) was there watching and he really helped me stay strong during that game."
It's been just over a year since John Cheeley has been to a game to watch his son play. Austin made sure to leave him a ticket at will-call that afternoon with his name on it. Sure, it may not have been physically redeemed, but there was absolutely no question that John Cheeley got to spend another afternoon at the ballpark with his son watching him play the game they loved almost as much as they loved each other. Rest assured, he'll always have the best seat in the house.
Anthony Fiorella is a writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @a_fiorella74 and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
