BY NICK GRANADOS
Sports Editor
East Stroudsburg University’s PSAC Championship-winning baseball team announced its newest signing on January 29.
Nine-year-old Brayden Walsh signed with the Warriors for the 2014 season through ESU’s partnership with Team IMPACT, an organization which helps children suffering from various diseases.
Walsh has suffered from several health problems all his life and, in the last four years, was diagnosed with Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) and atypical Cystic Fibrosis.
Every four weeks, Walsh goes through a five-hour procedure to battle his CVID as well as daily treatment plans to help improve the health of his lungs.
Team IMPACT continually encourages a wide range of team-based organizations to open up and extend their laughter, their power, and their support for children that are facing adverse medical conditions.
The organization began by serving children across the Northeast, including New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Team IMPACT since expanded into the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions and there are currently more than 5,000 program participants including children, siblings, parents, student-athletes and coaches.
ESU was one of the first PSAC schools to participate with Team IMPACT, which includes ESU’s men’s soccer team, California’s football team, Slippery Rock’s women’s soccer team and Shippensburg’s wrestling and field hockey teams.
The ESU baseball team has raised a tremendous amount of money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Lehigh Valley chapter over the last four years.
They donate nearly $8,500 through two programs, “Dollars for Doubles” and “Striking Out Cystic Fibrosis”. Pledges are currently being accepted for this year’s “Striking Out Cystic Fibrosis”. 100 percent of the proceeds will be going to the Lehigh Valley chapter.
Walsh, who was joined by parents Neal and Theresa, who is a 2000 ESU graduate, will be joining head coach John Kochmansky, who is in his seventh season, and an ESU Warriors team that is coming off of a record 34-win season that saw them capture their first PSAC Championship since 1971.
The Warriors will be spending time working with Brayden this season and hope to give him a memorable experience in college baseball.
E-Mail Nick at:
ngranados@live.esu.edu