Cade Dedeaux and Sumrall playing inspired baseball

SUMRALL, Miss. (WDAM) -The Sumrall baseball team is one of the top teams in the nation as it remains perfect at 24-0, but this season means more than just wins and losses for the Bobcats.

“It made me realize that it’s just a game,” Cade Dedeaux said.

In February, Sumrall’s right fielder Cade tragically lost his twin sister, Camden, in a car accident.

In the worst moment of Cade’s life, his baseball family stepped up to the plate.

“I mean, as soon it happened pretty much the whole team came over,” Cade said.

“It was not an easy thing to endure but baseball is kind of the outlet,” Sumrall head coach Andy Davis said.

Surrounded by the support of his teammates and grounded by his passion for baseball, Cade chose to finish out his senior season.

“I had to think about it a lot but to me, it just really wasn’t [a hard choice] because I knew how much my family likes watching us play and I like playing,” Cade said.

“Sumrall as a community, as a town this is the thing to do. When we play baseball, they come out,” Davis said. “For the family to see that and be surrounded by friends, I believe it comforts them.”

As the Sumrall community rallied around the Dedeaux family, the Dedeaux’s rallied around Cade.

“I talked to my parents about it, and we all agreed that it would be something good for the whole family, not just me, to get away from it all and take our minds off of it,” Cade said.

“Not even just my immediate family, I mean my grandparents, my aunt and my little cousins come to every game. Everybody just loves watching us play and I think it helps them clear their minds of it.”

“I think they wish we had a game every night and I wish I could provide that,” Davis said. “Cade is having a great season so far and I hope and pray he can keep going.”

In fact, the Bobcat’s lead-off hitter is batting over .600 as of recent. Cade credits his success to a new mindset on the diamond.

“Just try to have fun with it and enjoy your time with your friends,” Cade said. “I try not to worry about it like I used to and let it stress you out. At the end of the day, it’s just a game.”

Sumrall may be blue and yellow, but the color green, Camden’s favorite color, now dominates Bobcat baseball. In fact, reminders of Camden can be seen at every single game.

“We got her banner hanging up over there on the bleachers. Coach Davis has a little ribbon to her and we have a ton of bracelets made after her,” Cade said.

As the Sumrall community continues to heal, baseball families around Mississippi understand it means more than just runs, hits and errors.

“Just the baseball family surrounding us, surrounding the Dedeauxs, surrounding the cheerleaders because obviously, they lost a teammate,” Davis said.

Sumrall aims to make it back to Trustmark Park after falling short in the state championship last year, but with a newfound reason.. for Camden.

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