attaway lutes Cancer survivor inspires teammates with spirit, perseverance and a mid-90s fastball
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t was only one pitch, but it was a pitch filled with emotion for PLU pitcher Max Beatty ’14 and the entire PLU baseball family – coaches, players, parents, fans. When Max Beatty threw the first pitch of the 2013 Pacific Lutheran baseball season opener to Concordia University batter Sheldon Austria on Feb. 4, it concluded one harrowing chapter in Beatty’s life and turned the page to new chapters to be written, including one filled with dreams of a professional baseball career. It was a year ago in December, during the winter break between fall semester and J-Term, that Beatty’s life took a dramatic turn. A visit to the doctor revealed that Beatty had testicular cancer. Within a week’s time and unaware of Beatty’s diagnosis, Baseball America magazine, one of the nation’s top publications dealing with amateur baseball, named the PLU right-hander as its top 2012 professional draft prospect currently playing NCAA Division III baseball.
Following a surgical procedure to remove both of his testicles, Beatty was hopeful of returning to the Lutes for the 2012 season, but post-surgery blood work found cancer tracers. With months of chemotherapy treatment ahead, Beatty moved back to his hometown of Vancouver, Wash., and faced both the cancer and the chemotherapy as he would an opposing batter – with the determination to get a strike out. “Throughout the whole process, I stayed completely positive. I knew I was going to beat this, it was only a matter of when,” Beatty said. Doctors put Beatty on a chemo regimen of five rounds lasting eight hours a day for five consecutive days, followed by two weeks off – 15 weeks. He spent those long hours watching movies and playing video games on his iPad. And he planned for his return to the baseball diamond. Beatty lost his hair and was frequently tired during his treatment, continued on page 37
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