This article was originally published on The Red & Black on April 27, 2015 and can be found here.

Topps Company’s next Minor League Baseball card package will have a card featuring a Georgia Bulldog. The player, however, is nowhere to be found on the Bulldogs’ baseball roster.

Tyler Badger, a junior public relations major from Hoschton, Georgia, won Topps’ “Make Your Pro Debut” contest. The promotion provided Badger a unique experience with the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.

A gift during the holidays first opened the opportunity for Badger. He had been an avid baseball fan since he received a Nintendo 64 game when he was six and maintained his love for the game through his collection of player cards. A new set last winter held a key piece in the Topps’ giveaway.

“It was in a box of 2014 Topps Heritage Minors I got for Christmas,” Badger said. “There were insert cards that came with a code and you could go enter the code online. It opened up a series of five questions to the extent of why you [should be chosen]. There were over 3,000 entries.”

In his answers, Badger shared his experiences growing up around the game, including the memory of his grandfather racing for a home run ball during a Harrisburg Senators’ Minor League contest. After several months passed, his entry became an afterthought until he received a message in early April. The email informed Badger that he was the one person selected out of 3,000 applicants.

“The first email [about winning] was almost surreal,” Badger said. “I believe I was sitting in my apartment on my couch and I got chills through my body. I wanted to make sure it was legitimate.”

After going through the proper channels to ensure he had in fact won, plans were set for a trip to Corpus Christi. However, there was a problem: the contest only allowed for financial support for Badger and one guest. With his mother Roxanne Meeker already in tow, Badger fronted the costs for his 11-year-old stepbrother Jared.

For Badger, Jared tagging along was never a question.

“My brother has always been there with me to open the card boxes and we actually ended up opening that box together,” Badger said. “I’ve passed my love of baseball on to him, so for him to be able to see me on the field in uniform was really special.”

Once the trio landed in Dallas and trekked to Corpus Christi on Sunday it was nothing but non-stop movement. They took in the Hooks’ matchup with the Tulsa Drillers from the owner’s seats. They spoke to and ate dinner with Astros president Reid Ryan and his father, Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.

The eight-time All-Star prepped Badger for an even wilder Monday that included the elder Ryan introducing the 21-year-old in a press conference.

“Just being in the presence of Nolan Ryan was incredible,” Badger said. “I actually got an opportunity [on Sunday] to talk with him and pick his brain a little bit. It was just incredible to be in the presence of a legend like that.”

After Badger signed his contract and fielded questions from the media, he suited up for batting practice. While the tension may have been high to perform adequately among professionals, the Hooks players lightened his load with a little lighthearted hazing.

“They gave me a brief initiation of dancing,” Badger said. “I had to dance when I came up for stretching and that was the first thing we did together as a team. I did The Lawnmower, actually. That was the only move I could think of on the spot.”

Badger approached the plate and faced pitches that whirled in around 65 mph. He proved himself by delivering a few hits that made their way right of center field.

A transition from batting to pitching then occurred as the Hooks prepped for their game with the Drillers. Now tasked with throwing out the first pitch, Badger had one initiative when he stepped on the mound: don’t make an attempt you can’t live down. He did just that by connecting directly with the catcher’s mitt.

Although Minor League Baseball’s planned festivities were enjoyed by Badger and his family, it was a brief moment in between the action that really stuck with the contest winner.

When he first walked out sporting a Corpus Christi uniform from head to toe, several children in attendance screamed for his attention. Badger then walked over to explain the situation and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

“The younger fans saw me in uniform and thought I was a player,” Badger said. “Even when I explained my situation that I was only a player for the day and I was a contest winner, they still wanted my autograph. Just seeing that from a player’s perspective was awesome.”

The special day at the ballpark meant a great deal to Badger’s loved ones as they closely observed his brief Minor League career.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” said Meeker. “The experience was just amazing. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Nobody gets to do this. He was just very, very lucky and fortunate enough to be chosen.”

Badger’s little brother was quick to share his take on the occasion.

“My favorite part was to watch my brother do all these different things,” Jared said. “I liked getting to see him with the players, to throw the first pitch and be in the dugout.”

Badger left Texas with quite an experience with the Hooks. However, his plans of resurrecting his playing career were laid to rest in the Lone Star State. Joining the Bulldogs’ baseball team is as far-fetched today as it was before his cup of coffee with Corpus Christi.

“I don’t know if I’m quite ready for [college baseball],” Badger said. “If anything, I have a lot to put on my résumé. If Coach Stricklin ever needs anybody, at least I can say, ‘Well, I have been a professional baseball player with the Corpus Christi Hooks.’”