Making An Impact
The Dirty Terps Welcome Brian McAllister to Maryland Baseball
Matt Gilpin, Maryland Athletics Staff Writer
4/12/2022
Maryland baseball officially welcomed its newest signee to the team as five-year-old Brian McAllister joined the Dirty Terps this Spring during his signing day ceremony.
Sunday, April 3, was Team IMPACT Day for Maryland baseball, a day where they honored multiple children who have special connections to Maryland athletics.
Team IMPACT is a healthcare organization that supports children facing serious and chronic illnesses by matching them with a college athletic team, and the Maryland Terrapins have embraced the organization fully.
Along with Brian, Maryland softball’s Team IMPACT signee Lily Matarese, track and field’s Angelo Serrano, and football’s Cal Taylor were all at Bob ‘Turtle’ Smith Stadium taking in the game, a 7-2 Terrapin win over Penn State.
The McAllisters are a local family in the DMV area and after several meetings, hangouts, and a movie night with Brian and the team, he finally put pen to paper and joined the team on Thursday, March 31.
Brian’s signing day had all of the bells and whistles, complete with his own name card, balloons, Maryland gear, and even his own custom No. 5 jersey.
All of the baseball players were on hand for Brian’s ceremony and applauded their newest teammate as he officially committed to the team.
Freshman Ian Petrutz has taken a keen interest in Brian and echoes the sentiment that the entire team holds: that Brian is one of them.
“The happiness and joy on Brian’s face every time he’s at the field and around us elevates myself and the rest of the guys to be the best version of ourselves,” Petrutz said. “We couldn’t be more grateful to have Brian as a part of our team.”
Brian was diagnosed with a brain tumor in early 2020 and spent weeks undergoing treatment that included multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.
The McAllister family partnered with Team IMPACT and found a match with the Maryland baseball team, a partnership that the squad immediately embraced.
The team quickly invited Brian to College Park where they screened the Lego Star Wars Movie inside the Varsity Team House video room, a movie that head coach Rob Vaughn admits was his first foray into the famous franchise.
The relationship with Brian, much like the team in general, has been very player-driven, but Vaughn has taken on a special role with Brian as he is around the same age as his own son, Wyatt.
Vaughn has embraced Brian as he would any of his players and even his own son, and it’s a bond that he believes is mutually beneficial.
“Brian represents everything it is to be a Terp," Vaughn said. "He’s tough as nails, he’s resilient, he’s a fighter. We are more than thankful that Brian and the whole McAllister family are now forever a part of Terp Nation. The best is ahead and we are thrilled that Brian is a part of it.”
We’re lucky to add another member to this brotherhood. Welcome to the #DirtyTerps, Brian! pic.twitter.com/Tmhn2JDT9j
— Maryland Baseball (@TerpsBaseball) April 6, 2022
As an official member of the Dirty Terps, Brian made the trip for Sunday’s game, played catch with the players, hung out in the dugout, exchanged lineup cards with the umpires, and ran around the bases after the game.
The team is excited for him to be around the rest of this season and beyond, bringing his passionate energy and joyous laughter.
“Every minute spent with him is a minute that provides us with so much perspective and joy and for that reason, we couldn’t be more blessed,” Petrutz said.
