NATCHEZ — Depending on which Miss-Lou team is playing at home, Patrick Smith is that team’s biggest fan.

It’s not uncommon to see Patrick, 25, roaming around the baseball stands in his wheelchair, father Pat Smith at his side. Patrick, who suffers from mitochondrial disease, has been a baseball fan since childhood, Pat said.

Mitochondrial disease affects the mitochondia, which turns food molecules into ATP, which power most eucaryotic cells’ functions. In Patricks’ case, they make him feel like he’s about to fall into a hole every time he walks, according to his mother Cindy Smith. Because of this, Patrick is forced to use a walker every time he walks, or sit in a wheelchair.

Patrick is also mentally disabled, although tests have not been able to identify what type of disability, said Pat.

Patrick can usually be found at Adams County Christian or Vidalia High School baseball games, but Pat said he’s not exclusive to those schools.

“He’s gone to Cathedral, Vidalia and AC games, and he’s watched Trinity win a state championship in football,” Pat said.

“The year Trinity won, Gregory Ketchings, who’s about Patrick’s age, left his teammates and came over to talk to Patrick for a few minutes. That really made his day.”

Pat, who graduated from ACCS in 1978, said he’s been coming back to Rebels baseball games ever since. Even after Patrick graduated from Vidalia High School in 2007, Pat said his son wouldn’t stop asking him to come to baseball games.

“He played tee ball and coach-pitch for a while, but the older you get, the more competitive it gets, so he had to stop after a while. But he’s always liked the game,” Pat said.

“Patrick likes people. He’s a people person. All he wants is a ball game. Just like I want hunting and fishing, he wants a ball game, because he can see people there.”

There’s also the game itself, and Patrick said he has a favorite aspect of baseball.

“The pitching,” Patrick said.

Cindy recalled one instance while Patrick was growing up that the Natchez Dixie Youth organizers helped turn a bad situation into a good one.

“We were going to play him in Vidalia, but a couple of the parents didn’t want him, because they said they wanted to win a championship,” Cindy said.

“Clarence Bowlin put him on the same team he was on the previous year (with Natchez Dixie Youth). The team he was on won a championship, and the team he left didn’t win a game.”

Area coaches and players now enjoy Patrick coming out to their ball games.

“He’s best friends with everyone,” Vidalia baseball coach Tim Herndon said. “It seems like everyone in town has known Patrick their whole life, and everyone’s always kidding around with him.”

ACCS baseball coach Hunter McKeivier said Patrick takes life the way it’s supposed to be taken, and has an attitude about sports McKeivier thinks all athletes should have.

“Every kid that wants to get into sports needs to take the outlook Patrick’s taken,” McKeivier said. “Even though he isn’t able to play, he still loves to be a part of it.

“If you do get the opportunity to play, you should enjoy it like he does, and enjoy life like he does.”

And McKeivier said he and the rest of the Rebel baseball players are always happy to see him come out to the games.

“He loves cheering us on,” McKeivier said. “It’s awesome to sit there and watch his face during the game, because you can see he’s enjoying it.”

Cindy said going to ball games is something that’s strictly a father-son affair.

“Why don’t you want me to come to ball games with you, Patrick?” Cindy asked her son. “Why is it you like me to stay home?”

Patrick replied, “Because dad lets me do what I want.”

With all the teams he’s a fan of, it’s hard for Patrick to choose which one is his absolute favorite.

“Who’s your favorite team, Patrick?” Cindy said. Patrick pointed to ACCS’ baseball field to indicate the Rebels, but Cindy said it’s relative.

“It’s wherever we are,” she said.

Despite any hardships life has brought Patrick’s way, Cindy said there’s one thing that constant with her son.

“He’s never shed a tear, even as a baby. He’s just happy and content with the way things are,” Cindy said.