DAVIS, Calif — You might have heard of Batman, but what about "bat dog?" Over UC Davis, this adorable Labrador retriever is bringing a whole lot of joy to the UC Davis baseball team.
"I've never seen a bat dog before, not even on Instagram," said Sam Papp, a pitcher on UC Davis' baseball team.
She's clearly not your average dog. Cori is in her second year of service with the UC Davis baseball team, and she's responsible for retrieving the bats during games.
"It's awesome," said Noel Valdez, pitcher. "Who's got a dog in a dugout? I can't think of a team who does that. I'm excited to get to know Cori, and we have a personal connection now."
It goes without saying Cori is the most popular individual on the team.
"She's a fan favorite," said Raceman Otto, a pitcher on the team. "It gets both sides of the fans involved. It's a just a good time having her out there. Cori has brought our team together in multiple ways."
"It gets the crowd going," said Papp. "When she goes out there and grabs the bat, everyone is cheering after a base knock."
Many Davis football fans are familiar with Cori; she's also responsible for retrieving the tee after kickoffs.
Cori was adopted a few years ago by Lisa Ann Tell, who's a veterinarian and professor at Davis, and when she approached the head coach with the idea of having a bat-retrieving dog, he knew this was something he couldn't say no to.
"Lisa reached out to us last year," said Tommy Nicholson, head coach. "Thought it would be a pretty cool idea. I didn't have an idea of what it would look like in a game, so I was a little unsure. But I could see the positive energy she brought, and I was really excited about that."
In addition to just retrieving bats, Cori plays a significant role in raising the morale of the team as well.
"It's hard not to be in a good mood around her," said Alicia Champagne, athletic trainer. "She's just such a friendly uplifting dog."
"You get into the dugout, and there's a support animal in there," added Valdez. "You go up to her and pet her. You're just like a kid again."
UC Davis is believed to be the only college team that has a bat retrieving dog.
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