His mother’s health weighs heavily on him, but this Panthers player still perseveres

Andrea Shenton, mother of FIU junior third baseman Austin Shenton, had a secret she dared not reveal to her son, at least not yet.

She visited Austin in Massachusetts in July, just as he was dominating the Cape Cod league, hitting .372 and winning postseason MVP honors in college baseball’s top summer circuit.

Once the summer season ended, Shenton went home to visit his family in Bellingham — a small Washington town 90 minutes north of Seattle and 20 minutes south of the Canadian border. It was only then that Austin’s parents — Andrea and father Dana — sat him down for a talk.

“I grabbed his hand, and I told him: ‘I have breast cancer,’” Andrea said. “He dropped his head, and tears started flowing.”

Shenton, 21, suggested he stay home from FIU for a while, so he could help his mother through this ordeal.

But she wasn’t having that — not at all.

“It was out of the question,” Andrea said. “I know it felt strange for Austin to hear this news and then fly 3,200 miles back to Miami. But he has worked too hard in his career to take a step back now.

“Besides, watching his games on the computer have helped me. It serves as a distraction to my treatment.”

Andrea’s next big distraction will occur Feb. 15, when the FIU Panthers open their 2019 schedule with a home game against Stony Brook. The Panthers are hopeful that this year will mark their first trip back to an NCAA regional since 2015.

Part of that optimism has to do with Shenton, a 6-0, 205-pound lefty hitter who was drafted out of high school by the Cleveland Indians, who took him in the 34th round in 2016.

Shenton turned down the Indians and the University of Washington, which had offered a scholarship. Instead, he chose a junior college, Bellevue (Washington), hoping he could get more experience and improve his draft stock for 2017.

Joining FIU

But when he didn’t get drafted, he signed with FIU — going from the northwest tip of the U.S. to the country’s southeast edge.

Last year, in his FIU debut, he was an immediate star, batting .344 with a team-high 11 doubles, nine homers and a .941 OPS.

This past fall, during FIU scrimmages — despite his mother’s diagnosis weighing heavily on him — Shenton hit .400 with five homers, four doubles and 21 RBI in 45 at-bats.

“Mentally, Austin is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known,” FIU coach Mervyl Melendez said. “He’s dealt with devastating news better than any kid his age could.”

Andrea is doing well after cancer surgery and is preparing to start radiation and additional chemotherapy treatment.

“She never complains,” Austin said. “It’s a testament to how strong she is as a person.

“It’s tough being far from home. But my parents want me to focus on baseball, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

SHENTON STRONG

The Shentons are no strangers to challenges.

Austin’s oldest brother, Ian, 23, suffered a stroke when he was still in Andrea’s womb, and he lost two-thirds of his brain function by the time he was born.

It was suggested that Andrea put Ian in an institution, but she wasn’t having that — not at all.

Today, Ian is thriving. He graduated from a high school that had a special-needs, life-skills program, and he works part-time at the batting cages where Austin spent much of his youth.

Naturally, Ian is a sports fan, and he loves going to baseball games.

“He’s always making friends with the announcers,” Andrea said. “He’s a lot of fun.”

For a while, that fun was contained to just Andrea, Dana and Ian. But then Austin — who is Native American — came into their lives, first as a foster child, and then, just after he turned five years old, as Andrea and Dana’s adopted son.

Austin hasn’t had contact with his birth parents in over 15 years. His parents, without a doubt, are Andrea and Dana, and they’ve known him since he was a baby.

“I could always tell that those were the people I trusted,” Austin said of Andrea and Dana. “They fought hard to adopt me. They changed my life for the better. They are the people I love most in this world.”

RENAISSANCE MAN

Shenton has always been a natural athlete, quickly learning golf, tennis, football, basketball and racquetball.

When he was 11, his father taught him ping pong.

“Half an hour later, it was no longer fun to play him,” Dana said. “He was crushing me. I couldn’t return his serve.”

Shenton is also a vegetarian, the self-professed best karaoke singer on the FIU team, an accomplished cook and an aspiring travel photographer with a deep love for the outdoors.

“I don’t like to view myself as just a baseball player,” Shenton said. “I like to be multi-faceted. I’m passionate about the environment and wild life.

“I love cooking. Someday, I’d like to open a little restaurant where I cook plant-based meals that show that food can taste good and still be healthy.

“I have cooked for a lot of my teammates, and they have given me great reviews.”

Shenton said his teammates are some of the most fun-loving guys he has ever met, always ready to dim the lights in the clubhouse and start dancing.

There are a lot of comedians in the group, too.

But it’s also a caring bunch.

One day this past fall, when intense chemotherapy had just started to cause Andrea’s hair to fall, she got a text.

“I had a [garbage] bag in one hand and (my fallen) hair in the other, and I was thinking, ‘OK, this just got real’,” Andrea said. “But those FIU boys — one of the most encouraging things is knowing you are not walking alone.

“Coach [Melendez] sent me a photo, and all the FIU boys were wearing pink bracelets with the words, ‘Mama Shent’ and ‘Andrea Strong.’

“My heart just soared. The FIU family has sent me cards and flowers and shout-outs on Twitter. There are a ton of silver linings that have come with this diagnosis.”

Hopefully for the Shenton family and everyone who loves them, the best is yet to come. And after that heartbreaking talk with his parents this past fall, Shenton is praying for happier conversations this year.

Suggested topics include: Andrea’s cancer-free diagnosis, FIU’s qualification for an NCAA regional … and Shenton’s selection as a high-round, major-league draft pick.

FIU CAPSULE

Coach: Mervyl Melendez (third year); Last season: 26-28, 15-13 Conference USA; Top players: Austin Shenton (jr., 3B); Nick MacDonald (jr., RHP); Christian Santana (so., RHP); Noteworthy: Melendez has greatly improved FIU’s recruiting. Now is the time for the on-field payoff and FIU’s first NCAA regional since 2015.

This story was originally published February 8, 2019 at 12:25 PM.