COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Baseball in South Carolina is special. But for 12-year-old Gabriel Lyon, it’s everything. “I love the Gamecocks, Gabriel said. “They’re probably my favorite team, ever.” Gabriel, an energetic South Carolina baseball super fan, lives with autism. Through the non pro fit Dream On 3 and the South Carolina Collegiate Dream Team, Gabriel had the chance to do what he wanted more than anything: be a part of the Gamecock Baseball team. “That’s really cool for me,” Lyon said. “I feel really grateful for this experience right now.” The weekend started with a surprise sendoff from Gabriel’s classmates at Meadow Glenn middle school in Lexington. Gabriel explained the surprise from his perspective. “First I started off in social studies class. I was just chilling in there and then everybody came in. And I was like, “They’re here for me, let’s go,” Gabriel said. “It’s been a great day to be honest.” Emma Reiser, a USC sophomore and Dream Team captain, helped organize the weekend for Gabriel. “I mean it’s been so cool he’s been so happy and shocked the whole time,” Resier said. “He was just like in awe when we got to his class room and surprised him. He was like, ‘this is for me?’ it was so sweet and just seeing him interact with the baseball team today and get all these fun experiences has been so rewarding.” Then he got a bunch of new gamecock swag, including a custom jersey and shoes,  and got to hangout during batting practice. He even met his favorite former Gamecock … “His name is Evan Stone, I really like him a lot,” Gabriel explained. “I was watching one day and I saw him hit this absolute bomb and he just acted so well about it I mean, he was doing really good.” Like everything in this dream weekend, their meeting was a surprise. Gabriel then got to sit with Stone all game and just talk ball. Including calling a grand slam by Ethan Lizama before it happened, or so he recalls. “I was like, oh my gosh I called it. Oh my gosh how did I even call that, that’s like a, one in a lot. I was like oh my gosh,” Gabriel said. Mandie Condie is the Director of Program for Dream On 3. She explained how much it means for her and the non-profit to see Gabriel have an experience like this. “He’s having such a great time and doing everything that he gets to do, just seeing his smile is great,” Condie said. “It’s fun. So a lot more impact that they have on me than I feel like we do on them.” After a thrilling 10-9 win in game one, Gabriel was welcomed back to the ballpark for game two, but this time, to show off his stuff and throw out the opening pitch. “I feel stressed and ready,” Gabriel said before the big moment. “I think I’m more ready than stressed. I’m just more stressed cause I’m not trying to get the yips.” The young pitcher walked up to throw the first pitch at a South Carolina baseball game, something he’s dreamed about doing his whole life. Of course, Gabriel brought the heat, while bringing joy to the people around him, including the ones who helped make this dream weekend come true. “I hope he just has a fun weekend and knows how special he is and how much he means to everybody,” Resier said. Condie shared the sentiment.  “I just hope he takes away just having a great time and all these memories that he gets to have because there’s a lot of them,”Condie said. “I think he will, I think for sure he will because he’s already talking about what he’s going to say on Monday at school.”    Gabriel, while sitting and watching the game with his dad, said how grateful he was for this experience. “I’m really lucky.” Categories: Sports, USC Gamecocks ...read more read less