WORCESTER, Mass. – After Pat Galvin’s last game as a member of the Worcester State baseball team, his teammates gathered together at a friend’s house to celebrate their season. Uncertain at the time about his future in the game, he just sat quietly.

Then, one by one, his teammates came up to him. “They just started thanking me,” said Galvin, who recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. 

“Some were my close friends. They thanked me for helping them be the best players and people that they could be, but then there were the quiet ones. One person said, watching me [play baseball] or how I conducted myself off the field helped him get through a tough time in his life. That meant a lot to me and that’s what I’m most proud of.”

Galvin knows tough times. As a result of getting Lyme disease in the Spring of 2018, he was diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys caused by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). SLE is usually a chronic, complex and often disabling autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the body’s own cells, tissues and organs. Lupus Nephritis causes the kidneys to function improperly.

To make matters worse, Galvin got sick two weeks before his freshman baseball season at Roger Williams University. “It was one of the toughest things I went through,” he said. Treatment included drinking eight ounces of water each day and extensive medication and bedrest, which lasted about two months. 

“It was tough,” he said. “While my classmates were on spring break or going to class, I was in the hospital.”

Fortunately, the disease has been in remission since the fall of 2018, but his baseball career suffered.

“I couldn’t even workout until the fall, which made it harder to get back in 2019,” Galvin said.

But despite physical atrophy, his academics never suffered.

“I missed two months and I still made the dean’s list,” he said. “Students who went to class didn’t all make the dean’s list. It just goes to show if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”

Galvin was recently chosen for the Academic All-District Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The 2020-21 Academic All-District Baseball Team recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-America program separately recognizes baseball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.

Pat Galvin. Photo courtesy of Worcester State University Athletics.

Galvin was also an inductee into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national student-athlete honor society. He made the Dean’s List every semester at Worcester State and represented the baseball team on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. His work earned him Worcester State’s Margaret “Peg” Nugent Scholar-Athlete Award in the spring.

“Academics is more important than anything on the field because it sets up other important parts of life,” he said.

While impressive in the classroom, he still had a long road to get back on the baseball field after transferring to Worcester State as a sophomore. “I didn’t even know if I was ever going to play again,” he said.

He worked hard and made the Worcester team his sophomore year, but said he was not a starter. In 26 games, he batted a respectable .271 average with a homerun, eight RBIs, seven runs scored, and a stolen base. Decent, but not good enough for Galvin. He wanted to be better. That summer, he joined the Westfield Starfires, a summer collegiate baseball team that plays in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. 

“I always wanted to play pro ball and I needed to keep that dream alive,” Galvin said. “Playing for the Starfires showed me I could do it. I knew I was getting better, but then COVID-19.”

Galvin appeared in only two games in his junior season with Worcester State before the season was cancelled. He went 4-for-10 at the plate for a .400 batting average, scored two runs and knocked in two RBIs. That was enough to be named to the MASCAC All-Academic Team, but the truncated season and the prospect of no baseball was troubling.

“It was tough because I love baseball and I couldn’t play all summer,” he said. “I was supposed to play in a competitive league in New York that summer, but that was canceled too.”

Galvin was discouraged, but he was not about to quit

 “I tried to get my at-bats any way I could,” he said. “I joined some men’s leagues to get some at-bats to get better. I just tried to make the best of it. I was just going to give it everything I had and see what happens. Whatever is meant to be will be. I just don’t want to have any regret in 30 years for not trying.”

His perseverance paid off with a stellar senior campaign. Galvin ranked second on the Lancers in 2021 with a .350 batting average, with 14 runs scored and nine RBIs. He also recorded nine doubles on the season, ranking second in the MASCAC, with one home run and three stolen bases. Galvin reached base safely in 18 of his 23 games played with a trio of three-hit games on the year.

Galvin has also found success serving the community. He volunteered his time with the Little League Challenger Division, Little League’s adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges.

“Helping special needs kids has been great and has given me some perspective on life,” he said. “Some of these kids would not have a chance to play baseball otherwise. To see them smile has been the most fulfilling thing.” 

Galvin will be heading south in the fall. He has earned a full scholarship to play baseball at Augusta University in Georgia next season, as well as a chance to earn his MBA. AU is a division-2 school that plays in the Peach Belt Conference.

“At Augusta, I have a chance to compete against better competition and to see how I measure up,” he said. “Maybe it will open some doors and give me a new perspective. It could put me in a better position to succeed. My dream is to play in the pros. Maybe I have a shot.”