In Noah McBryar’s world, peace of mind comes in the routine.
Born with Xq28 duplication syndrome, which is associated with autistic traits and tendencies, there is comfort in consistency for the Lookout Valley High School senior.
Perhaps more than any other sport, baseball rewards the routine, and McBryar’s knack for repetition — an uncanny ability to repeat the same motion which produces pitches for strikes — has made him a key contributor in his final season of competition.
The left-hander earned the first win of his varsity career two weeks ago and now, as the season winds down, he earned a niche as a reliable reliever who led the team in wins and earned run average.
“I actually think the team would have fallen apart without him,” said Eli Pell, who along with McBryar is one of just three seniors on the team. “We’re a small school, so that means we have to play a lot of freshmen and those guys wind up having to do more than they’re probably ready to have to do on a varsity team. But Noah’s positivity has really kept everyone going.