CHARLOTTE, N.C. – At every Queens softball game at Park Road Park, there is one home run that can never be found in a box score.
 
It draws cheers as raucous as those that follow any Royals long ball. It even puts a smile on the face of the pitcher, head coach Stacey Schramm, who enters the circle after the game's final out knowing that she will always be taken deep.
 
The batter is Will Lathan, younger brother of senior shortstop Abby Lathan and a staple of the Queens program.
 
"When Will's not at the game, it's almost like then you realize what he actually provides, because you just feel like something's missing," Schramm said.
 
Will performs various jobs for the Royals. He serves as the batboy, rakes the field between games of doubleheaders, and is even introduced as an assistant coach during the announcement of starting lineups.
 
But his most important role is that of the team's number-one fan. When the Royals are in the field, he often ventures into the bleachers to mingle with—and energize—parents and other fans.
 
"He's like the mayor," said Schramm. "He walks through; everyone's like, 'Hey, Will!' He's shaking people's hands, and he calls the parents by their first name."
 
And while the Royals are at bat, Will returns to the dugout, offering encouragement and predicting his team's success.
 
"He's called my home runs on multiple occasions," Abby said of her brother. "One time I heard him say in the dugout, 'She's going to hit a home run,' and then I actually did the next pitch."
 
Will's consistent optimism, the Royals feel, has influenced their performance for the better, especially through the most trying moments.
 
"It's hard to get down on yourself with Will around," said junior second baseman Sydney Ditto. "If you're struggling at the plate, Will's got you."
 
Abby particularly remembers the Feb. 16 game earlier this season at Francis Marion University, when Will uttered what has become his catchphrase and helped turn a late six-run deficit into an extra-inning victory.
 
"Right before we went out on defense [in the fifth inning], he went up to Coach Schramm, and he was like, 'We can still win!' And then we ended up winning the game," Abby said. "He can really turn the momentum the other way just by saying little things like that."
 
Momentum has turned in the favor of the Queens softball program during Will and Abby's four years in Charlotte. In 2015, Abby's freshman season, the Royals won just 12 games. This year, they have reached the 35-win mark for the first time in program history.
 
Since Schramm returned prior to the 2017 season, the arc of success is even steeper, but Schramm cannot help but point the credit in another direction.
 
"My team is resilient because of [Will], not necessarily because of who I am as a coach," said Schramm. "A lot of people say, 'What happened? How did your team become so resilient? You must be doing a great job.' I can honestly say, it's not me, it's Will."
 
A four-year starter who ranks third all-time on the career home run list, Abby also is quick to credit her brother for helping her thrive.
 
"Being able to have that support system in college ball, where the level is up, has just been special," she said.
 
Like his sister, Will was honored on Senior Day and received a commemorative plaque for all that he has provided for the team, but there was just one thing it appeared he couldn't do for them—hit a home run.
 
That is until Schramm gave him his shot.
 
"He kept asking to pinch-hit," said Schramm. "When we were struggling, he thought that he could come in and hit a home run for us, which he probably could have. But because he wasn't on the lineup card, we started a tradition where afterward, after the game was over, he would hit a home run off of me."
 
Schramm says she hopes to keep Will involved in the program beyond Abby's graduation this spring—and to keep the home run tradition alive.
 
It seems Will is up to the challenge of maintaining his perfect batting average.
 
"I throw him my best pitch," Schramm said, "and he crushes it every time."