AUBURN — Friday was full of emotion for Auburn baseball sophomore Cade Belyeu.
The Tigers centerfielder started the day with difficult news. His mother, Staci Belyeu, died after a months-long battle with cancer.
His evening was full of higher spirits, however. Starting in Auburn’s season-opening 4-1 win over Holy Cross, Belyeu singled in his first at-bat. He followed it up with even bigger fireworks, hitting the program’s first home run of the season just hours after his mother’s death.
The ball, which was hit into the right-centerfield deck at Plainsman Park, was caught by a young fan and returned to the program, an administrator told the Montgomery Advertiser. It was given to Belyeu by Auburn coach Butch Thompson postgame.
Thompson said he got a call at 7:16 a.m. Friday, with Belyeu passing along the news of his mother’s death.
‘Then he said he wanted to play,’ Thompson said. ‘His mom, Staci, wanted him to play.’
A few hours later, Thompson said he was wrestling with whether or not Belyeu should see the field. So, he called his father, Roger Belyeu, and deferred to him.
‘He said Staci wanted him to play,’ Thompson said. ‘I think it was the most inspiring thing we’ve ever seen. Our crowd is just amazing. They absolutely sensed and knew what was going on with him. … An inspiration by Cade Belyeu.’
Belyeu, who wasn’t made available for Friday’s postgame, made some late-season waves as a freshman. An Auburn High School product, he mustered five of his eight home runs in the Tigers’ final seven games of 2024. He ended the year hitting .284, with seven extra-base hits and 20 RBIs.
In all, the season opener saw a 2-for-4 performance at the plate from him, matching a team-high in hits with shortstop Deric Fabian and second baseman Eric Snow as the Tigers cruised to a victory over the Crusaders. Florida transfer Cade Fisher got the start and posted 3⅓ hitless innings, though he was tacked for an earned run after his day ended.
‘That was literally the best thing I’ve ever seen in baseball,’ Snow said postgame of Belyeu’s home run. ‘It means more when the kid’s loving and caring in the locker room and works his butt off every day. That was literally the best thing I’ve ever seen.’
The Tigers used three pitchers in the win, with Cam Tilly and Carson Myers combining for a 5⅔-inning effort, in which neither gave up a run.