SC baseball player and Tiger fan returns to LSU cancer free

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Long before John Hawkins earned a spot as a bullpen catcher for the University of South Carolina, he was an infielder with dreams of playing big-time college baseball. Hawkins was a three-year starter for his St. Joseph’s varsity club in Greenville, South Carolina. In his last two years, he started at second base for a team that won consecutive state titles. He used an 11.5-inch Rawlings infielder’s glove those last two years. It was light brown with a “36” stitched into it in black thread. Hawkins was the glove’s second owner.

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Its previous owner was former LSU shortstop Austin Nola. The story behind how Hawkins came to use that glove is unlikely as it is inspiring. Nola gave it to Hawkins personally in 2010, when Hawkins, stricken with Stage IV Hodgkins Lymphoma, was touring his dream school as part of the Make-A-Wish program.

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