Written by Sarah Bergstrom, USC blog contributor
Many people grow up dreaming of playing collegiate athletics under the lights of a stadium on a Friday or Saturday night. For the members of the USC baseball team, those dreams are a reality. But for USC freshman Blake Lacey, playing college baseball means even more than that.
When Lacey was three years old, his father, Rob, was in a near-fatal four-wheeling accident that left him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He had to be resuscitated three times on the helicopter trip from the location of the accident to the hospital where doctors eventually put in over 300 bolts to reconstruct his shattered spine.
"It's a blessing that he even survived at all," says his son.
Now, almost 16 years later, Mr. Lacey attends almost all of his son's games. According to the younger Lacey, his time on the field is a gift he will never take for granted, and he owes that to his dad.
"My dad is my role model. I've seen what he has had to go through in his life and it's made me grateful. Showing up to the field, for me, is a lot more than what it means to the average player because I'm constantly aware of what it's like to not have the ability to run around. Watching my dad and playing baseball, I've seen both worlds. It's just such a blessing to have the opportunity to play college baseball every day, and realizing that makes me enjoy life a lot more."
Lacey and his father share a unique bond which just might be the result of learning how to appreciate every blessing in their lives. Looking at Mr. Lacey's face when Blake makes a play or when he and his son catch up after a game, it's easy to see an overwhelming sensation of pride and love. He says that Blake's decision to come to USC has been incredible for their family as they can come and support Blake almost every week.
"It's the best decision we've ever made and it just keeps getting better and better. It's an incredible school and a great opportunity for Blake. We love everything about this program, the other families, the coaches, and his teammates. Every kid on this team just seems really special," says Mr. Lacey.
His son, amidst offers from other universities far from home, says a huge part of his decision to become a Trojan was the ability it provided him to play near his family.
"I've always been extremely close with my family. Ever since I was really little they've come to every single game I've played. They do as much as they possibly can to watch me play baseball. I've always had that support backing me and a lot of my drive comes from having them here," says Lacey.
His close family includes his father, his mother, Cindy, and his sister, Shelby, who attends Fresno State University. The trio has watched Blake's role on the team change greatly this season. At the beginning of the year he wasn't a starter, but in the midst of injuries and a shuffling of the lineup, he seized an opportunity and has become a major contributor to the team. In his 22 games played, he's hitting .326 with 10 runs, 28 hits, and 1 home run. He has also been a major help on defense playing shortstop and second base this season.
"At first my role was just trying to prove myself to my team and working to earn a spot. As I become more of an impact player on my team I'm really trying to take more of a leadership position. I like being out there at practice or in games firing guys up and keeping them focused on what's going on."
Both Lacey's first start and first hit came in the series against Fresno State about five minutes away from his hometown.
"Playing that series was so cool because my family and friends were there. The ability to be out there playing for this team, this school, and my home makes me realize I'm representing a lot more than just myself out there."
A month later the Trojans were in San Francisco playing a series against the California Bears. USC had taken the first two games of the weekend but the best was yet to come for Lacey. Up 2-0 in the 5th inning, the freshman stepped up to the plate and sailed one over the fence for a two run homer, giving the Trojans a 4-0 lead. USC went on to lose to Cal that day but Lacey's first collegiate home run remains as his highlight this season.
"The best moment for me was hitting that home run against Cal. After the game, coach gave me the home run ball and I was able to sign it and give it to my dad. It was really incredible to share that moment with him."
The Trojans are 11-18 on the season but there have been moments where all the pieces have seemed to fall together just right. Lacey believes this team has a lot of success ahead, but knows there is still much work to be done this year.
"I think our team, as young as we are, is going to be really good and we are already progressively getting better every game. We all click, especially the younger players and I think the camaraderie of our team is going to open up a lot of doors for ourselves. If we take a pitch off or take teams for granted, then we won't have the season that we should have. We just need to bring energy, to come out and play our hardest every day."
Playing for his dad, his family, his hometown, and his brothers on the team, Lacey looks at every game as another opportunity to honor the gift of playing a college sport. He says that it's this mentality that defines what it means to be a part of the legacy of USC baseball.
"Being a Trojan is much more than I could put into words. I get the opportunity to represent my family, my school, and everything that it means to be a USC athlete. Not other school has what we have here and I'm so thankful to be a part of it."
The Trojans continue their series with Stanford today at 2 p.m. at Dedeaux Field. The final game of the weekend is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
