TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Recruiting starts earlier in college baseball than most of its on-campus counterparts and as strange as it seems, Link Jarrett’s Florida State Seminoles may not have had a bigger “signing” this offseason than nine year old Aaron Davis.
A love of the game, a familiarity with the roster and a passion for the garnet and gold are a winning combination for Aaron, who like most in Jarrett’s program has fought long and hard to get here.
“Heart, toughness and loyalty,” said Jarrett of the traits he’s looking for in his program. “[Aaron] absolutely has all three.”
Last year, a summer of baseball was set to become a smooth fall of third grade. Aaron was fighting through an injury in his legs… or so he thought.
“Monday he was really complaining about his legs,” remembered Aaron’s father Gary Davis about the week it all changed. “Tuesday morning we got up, I turned the light on and I looked at him in the chair and his color just seemed different.”
“30 minutes after drawing blood they were assembling a team to put him in an ambulance to take him to Shands.”
That trip to Gainesville would put Aaron on the mound in the game of life, staring down an opponent no kid should ever have to face. One no parent should ever have to watch their child endure.
“[The doctor] said ‘we think it’s leukemia and he’s going to have to undergo chemo,’” recalls Davis about his son’s diagnosis. “As soon as I heard the word chemo, that was it.”
But Aaron has endured, and he’s done so with a great defense behind him. Forging bonds with his heroes from Dick Howser Stadium, becoming particularly close with infielders Carter McCulley and Jace Estes.
“It hurts, it always hurts when someone you love is in pain, but it also helps when it’s Aaron,” said McCulley of watching Aaron’s fight. “He’s still smiling through the chemo and all the treatments. It’s cool and honestly it’s inspiring to everybody in the locker room.”
So perhaps its only fitting that McCulley and Estes flanked Aaron and Coach Jarrett in a team meeting in January when the nine year old put pen to paper to join the FSU Baseball program through Team Impact, which partners children going through critical illnesses with collegiate sports teams.
“It’s really cool,” beamed a shy Aaron after signing with the ‘Noles.
The program’s doors are open to the third grader whenever he’s in town and not receiving treatment in Gainesville, continuing his fight with an entire team behind him.
“It feels like we get to return the favor now,” said Estes of supporting their young superfan in his fight. “We get to cheer him on his battle.”
With Aaron hoping this is only the first signing, with the other happening after it’s “K-Time” for cancer.
“He wants to actually play baseball for Florida State,” said Davis of his son’s dreams for the future. “What do you tell a kid other than ‘dude if you lick this, there’s nothing you can’t do?’”
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