Dalton, 24, started at second base for Texas A&M as a fourth-year junior, but did little to distinguish himself. As a sophomore, he hit .253, then followed with a .242 effort.
Even his coaches didn't expect him to come back for his fifth year.
"They wanted me to come back for my fifth year, but they told me I probably wouldn't play ... I'd be fourth string or something," Dalton said. "They wanted me to be a good guy on the bench, someone to help the other players, kind of like an extra coach.
"My family was going to support me no matter what, but even they were asking me why I would want to go back when I could just graduate and get on with my life."
Dalton did graduate with a degree in finance, with a minor in history.
And he played baseball ... eventually.
First, he had to beat cancer.
Before the start of his senior year of college, Dalton went to a dermatologist for a regular checkup and came away with a frightening diagnosis.
Malignant melanoma.
Forget finance, forget college, forget baseball.
Forget living?
"It's one of the most dangerous forms of cancer, one with the worst survival rates," Dalton said. "They put a fist-sized scar in my back, plus cut out lymph nodes in my left armpit and my left shoulder to make sure nothing spread. For a while, I couldn't move because they cut so much out of me."
You should read the whole thing. But, here is the takeaway quote:
"I let God write the book. I let God pull the strings. I'm just here for the ride, riding the wave."
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