All was normal Friday morning at Meadow Glen Middle School for Gabriel Lyons, a 12-year-old boy from Lexington, South Carolina. Then he noticed a limousine circling the building.
"I saw the limo," Gabriel said. "I saw that going around when I was outside earlier. Everybody was like, 'Who's that? Who's that?'"
Arriving to pick up Gabriel were his parents, Shannon Lyons and Joshua Lyons, alongside his two sisters, Evie Lyons and Emma Lyons. They were joined by the staff of Dream on 3, a non-profit organization that makes "sports-themed dreams" come true for individuals aged 5-21 who are living with life-altering conditions.
Gabriel is a lifelong super-fan of South Carolina baseball, and the team had a game against Kentucky later that Friday night at Founders Park. He also lives with autism.
"He has autism and obviously high functioning," Shannon Lyons said. "He plays baseball, but it's taken us a long time with services and therapy and a lot of support. So for him to even have a shot at (this), that's all we could ask for."
Dream on 3 has partnered with 28 universities nationwide to create Collegiate Dream Teams, or CDT's, often spearheaded by student-athletes who volunteer at the school to help turn fans' dreams into reality. In the case of South Carolina, the CDT consists entirely of members from the women's soccer and both swim and dive teams. Sophomore freestyle swimmer Emma Reiser is the group's captain.
"We interviewed (Gabriel) and his family, and he just seemed like a perfect fit to get this dream weekend," Reiser said. "He's such a big Gamecock fan ... It's been a lot of fun."
Junior soccer forward and midfielder Autumn Cayelli said her desire to join the CDT stemmed from watching former teammates go through the process themselves.
Lexington resident Gabriel Lyons kicks a soccer ball into the goal as junior midfielder Autumn Cayelli goal keeps at Stone Stadium during a guided tour of the university facilities on April 25, 2026. Lyons and his family were given a full tour of various sporting facilities at USC including Williams-Brice Stadium.
"I remember seeing (Taylor Bloom) and Catherine Berry go through the whole process, and it just looked really exciting just to be able to give someone their dream weekend," Cayelli said. "I think just seeing that and hearing her talk about it just made it sound like a great experience to go through."
Upon his arrival in Columbia, Gabriel was given a guided tour of Founders Park prior to the first pitch of South Carolina's series-opening game against Kentucky. His all-time favorite Gamecock, Evan Stone, graduated in 2025 following a four-year career with the program, but that didn't stop Stone from coming to the game and sitting with Gabriel for all nine innings.
"Him and Evan sitting all game just chatting — they were just talking," Shannon Lyons said. "They were calling all the plays. They called the home run. They were just talking baseball, and it was amazing."
That home run was a grand slam from senior outfielder Ethan Lizama in the game's first inning. It was just the second grand slam of the season for the Gamecocks, who won a 10-9 shootout over the Wildcats to take the first game of the series.
"It has been truly a dream, and it's been like winning the lottery and sports lottery for him," Shannon Lyons said. "It has been truly just unspeakable."
Dream on 3 provided Gabriel and his family a two-night stay at the Graduate, a hotel nested in the heart of South Carolina's campus. Saturday was booked full of festivities, beginning with a trip to Stone Stadium and a guided tour from the Gamecock women's soccer team.
Junior midfielder Cuyler Zulauf led the way for most of the walk through the complex. Zulauf is South Carolina CDT's leader in total funds raised, with $908 across the 2025-26 school year. The team raised a total of $5,880 to put toward Gabriel's dream weekend.
After being shown the team's gym, locker room and rehab center, Gabriel was gifted various items of Gamecock apparel and a pair of brand new baseball cleats. He was able to get some reps in on the pitch as well.
Among the group accompanying Gabriel was Ryan Hays, a fourth-year sport and entertainment management student and intern with Dream on 3. The non-profit is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, also Hays' hometown. He drives home Sundays, works in the office Monday through Wednesday, then returns to South Carolina's campus for the remainder of the week.
"We've known about Gabriel for a little bit now," Hays said. "It took a lot of planning. We knew he was a huge baseball fan. So that was what we kind of wanted to center the weekend around. And then the team — the girls were great in helping us plan some other fun activities ... It's been a long time coming, but it's been awesome."
Gabriel headed from Stone Stadium to Williams-Brice Stadium, where the group was given a tour of the Gamecocks' football stadium and locker room by Clark Cox, South Carolina's associate athletic director for facilties services.
"We love to honor those type of requests if we can," Cox said. "We like for people to come out and see the field. It's not something a lot of people get to see all the time ... Whenever you get fans that would like to see it, it was a no-brainer."
Cox led the tour upstairs at Williams-Brice and passed the group off to Eichel Davis, South Carolina's associate athletics director for creative media. Davis orchestrated a photoshoot for Gabriel to pose as if he were on a recruiting visit, snapping flicks with Gamecock memorabilia alongside his family and members of the CDT.
Lexington resident Gabriel Lyons poses for a media style photo shoot at Williams-Brice Stadium on April 25, 2026. After the shoots, Gabriel headed to Founders Park where he threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Ahead of Gamecock baseball's second game of the series, Gabriel stopped by the Cocky statue on campus before heading to Founders Park for the game. Junior pitcher Alex Valentin escorted Gabriel out to the pitcher's mound, and he was able to throw the game's first pitch.
"Tried not to get the yips — I got it — it's fine," Gabriel said. "I was trying to aim over 45 (miles per hour), and I did it."
Sitting front row and side-by-side with the Gamecocks' dugout, Gabriel was able to witness the Gamecocks capture a 9-4 win over the Wildcats to secure the series. It was just the second Southeastern Conference series win for South Carolina this season.
"He's just been so happy," Joshua Lyons, Gabriel's dad, said. "He's not one to necessarily physically show it on his face all the time, but (as) Dad and Mom, we know that little smile right there."
Dream on 3 director of program and donor engagement Mandie Condon oversaw much of the weekend and had worked with South Carolina's CDT over the course of the year to organize the weekend of events.
"I tell people all the time, (the kids) impact me more than I feel like we impact them," Condon said. "(Gabriel) lives with ADHD and autism, and he just can overcome that and be the person that he is and play baseball and play football and different things. It's fun. He does impact a little bit more (than people understand)."