09-25-2010 12:35 AM

When he runs onto the turf at Arute Field, Central Connecticut’s Jeff Marino feels blessed. He looks into the stands at his grandfather, Tom Marino, still coming to watch at age 80, and he is motivated to play for him. He sees the other family members who are always there — parents Tom and Barbara, older siblings Meg and Matt and younger sister Genny — and he is motivated to play for them.

He plays for his coaches, his teammates and his city of New Britain, which produced him and six of his teammates. Most of all, he plays for someone who cannot be there, someone who has been a big part of his life though he was alive for only five hours on Aug. 15, 1991.

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