Graceland Baseball to host Strike Out Cancer Weekend
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Payton Higgins was an integral part of last year's Bellevue University baseball team that came within a game of a return trip to Lewiston, Idaho for the Avista-NAIA World Series.
This year, Payton's focus has been away from the diamond. During the fall, Payton began experiencing some pain which he had chalked up to kidney stones. Following an initial doctor's appointment in which he did not find any relief, Payton returned home to Utah for a second opinion. Following a battery of blood work, scans, tests, and a biopsy, Payton was diagnosed with Stage 4 - Small Cell Carcinoma, lung cancer.
Payton has shared some details of his journey through social media, saying and said that he has gone through an extended treatment plan of chemotherapy and immunotherapy all while continuing his studies and to follow the successes of his teammates. Before the season began, the baseball team had special jerseys designed with Higgins and his No. 10 on the back. The entire team wears those during warm-ups as a tribute to Payton and a way to include him in all their day-to-day activity.
Despite his battle with cancer, Payton has continued his schooling and was certified on the team's eligibility certificate. For his efforts, he will earn NAIA-Daktronics Scholar-Athlete recognition when those recipients are announced after the season.
Per his Twitter account earlier this week, Payton announced that his doctors determined his treatments were working as intended and he will continue receiving those treatments for some months going forward.
Bellevue is on the road this weekend but Payton is getting help from another source. The Graceland University baseball team is hosting their annual Strike Out Cancer series this weekend when they host Peru State College. For the past four years, GU has auctioned off game-worn jerseys from their series to benefit the KU (University of Kansas) Cacncer Center after Coach Brady McKillip's wife was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. Earlier today, it was announced that the proceeds from this year's fundraising efforts will go to Payton Higgins.
BU coach Duane Monlux expressed his appreciation by saying, "We want to thank Graceland University and their baseball program for the kind and generous act of donating the proceeds of their Strike Out Cancer campaign to Payton. The NAIA is such an amazing, close-knit community that truly cares about each other. Real life is so much bigger than the game and it's acts of kindness like this that show that."
