The crack of the bat, the pop of the ball hitting the mitt and the smell of fresh cut grass are sights and sounds that baseball players and fans sometimes take for granted.

For Tyler Morel, those sights and sounds are something that he and his family cherish.

Baseball, at heart, is a kid’s game played with abounding joy and without a care in the world.  Tyler, like any other 11-year-old boy, always plays the game with passion and, until 15 months ago, without a care in the world.

That all dramatically changed one day in July of 2011.

Tyler, his parents Paula and Brian (a 2001 Massachusetts Maritime graduate), along with his little brother Alden, had moved from their home in Falmouth to North Carolina in the spring of 2011, and they were in Boston for a vacation when Tyler became ill.  A bright summer’s morning turned cloudy upon the news that Tyler had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, the most common form of leukemia found in children.

Upon the advice of doctors, Tyler’s treatment began immediately, so instead of going back to North Carolina, he remained at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he spent 48 days undergoing in-patient chemotherapy.  After nearly seven weeks at Children’s, Tyler was transferred down to North Carolina to resume his treatment close to home.

While Tyler’s journey home went smoothly, he suffered complications from his treatment.  He was transferred to the intensive care unit after being unresponsive for three days, waking up with no memory whatsoever.

But Tyler Morel is a fighter, and with great courage, resolve and determination, he fought back from all of those setbacks.  He regained his memory, and two short months ago, he and his family moved back to the Cape to be closer to their family and friends.  Tyler is now undergoing the second phase of his three-year treatment at the Dana-Farber Center, and his treatment will continue for the next two years.

To say that life has undergone great change for the Morel family is an understatement.  To say that Tyler’s will to fight has grown larger by the day would also be an understatement.

Tyler’s love for the game of baseball is something that has undoubtedly helped him overcome unthinkable adversity for anyone, let alone an 11-year-old boy.  It is those characteristics of pride and passion that will serve him well with his new college teammates.

Yes, you read that correctly:  college teammates.

Earlier today, Tyler Morel joined a longstanding tradition of young men who will don a Massachusetts Maritime uniform.  He joined his fellow Buccaneers, under the guidance of longtime Buccaneer Head Coach Bob Corradi, through the Department of Athletics’ on-going partnership with Team Impact, a non-profit organization based in Quincy that partners with colleges and universities across the region to improve the quality of life for children facing adverse issues and events by establishing and expanding vibrant, team-based support networks.  Massachusetts Maritime is one of 28 institutions in New England that are part of the Team Impact family, standing with such schools as Boston College, Brown, Harvard and Northeastern.

Tyler signed his “letter of intent” to play for the Buccaneers at a special ceremony at home plate at Commodore Hendy Field surrounded by his coaches, teammates and other members of the Massachusetts Maritime community, including student-athletes, cadets and administrators.  He took a few swings during batting practice, and after visiting his own locker inside the Clean Harbors Athletic Center, there were other surprises in store for both he and his family.

Tyler is not just joining the Buccaneer baseball program—he is now a member of the Massachusetts Maritime family, something that resonates with Corradi, who begins his 41^st season as head coach.

“The adversity that this young man has endured and overcome makes him a truly inspirational person,” Corradi says of his newest Buccaneer.  “Words can’t describe the pure joy that everyone on our team and in our community feel in being able to welcome Tyler to our family.”

It’s already been an eventful week for Tyler here on Taylor’s Point, as he served as an honorary captain for last Saturday’s Buccaneer Homecoming football victory over Fitchburg State.  Tyler becomes the second member of the Massachusetts Maritime athletic family through the Team Impact partnership, as 12-year-old Teddy McGowan of Forestdale, who was diagnosed at the age of three with Mitochondrial Disease, became a member of the Buccaneer men’s lacrosse program last spring.  Tyler and Teddy met last Saturday and walked to midfield together as honorary captains, their smiles and bounding steps exuding the joy of youth.

Tyler’s fight is on-going.  He has good days, he has not-so-good days.  But with his new teammates and Academy family solidly in his corner, the example he sets for all us makes him wise beyond his years.

And we can all be thankful for finding this remarkable diamond in the rough.