Much More Than A Super Fan

Chico State’s baseball team lined the rail at the local bowling alley during the Special Olympics Butte County Bowling Championship on November 5, 2023. They were there to cheer for John Brownell, their favorite fan and an honorary member of the Wildcats’ ballclub. He bowled them over on his way to a silver medal.

The bond between Brownell and the baseball program started more than a decade ago when he became a gameday fixture near the bottom of Section 201 in Nettleton Stadium. Win or lose, Brownell heads to the dugout after each game to exchange elbow bumps and words of encouragement with the Wildcats. He also travels to road games and attends team practice throughout the fall and spring, at times assisting Head Coach Dave Taylor during infield defense and pitcher fielding drills.

At the bowling alley, the student-athletes relished the chance to flip the script and encourage him.

“He’s gone from a friend to a member of the team to a part of the Chico State baseball family,” Taylor said. “He’s like a brother to some of these guys. He’s like a son to me.”

Approximately 40 Wildcats showed up to watch Brownell, helping create an electric atmosphere for him and his fellow competitors.

“It was nice to see him light up because he does that for us day in and day out,” Wildcats pitcher and marketing major Marco Ibarra said.

Brownell has won numerous Special Olympics Butte County gold medals in bowling over the years according to the team’s coach, Lori Carillo.

“He’s a lefty and he was swinging the ball around inside that first pin, and he was throwing it hard,” said sophomore pitcher and mechanical engineering major Ethan Lay. “It was impressive.”

With each frame, Brownell’s cheering squad grew louder.

“I mean, it became a raucous crowd,” Taylor said. “And he stayed stone-faced and focused on the task at hand. He really rose to the occasion. That was one of the great days in Chico State baseball—to have a group of people he supports so well turn the table and be cheering him on.”

Brownell said he was nervous at the beginning, but “it just took a game to get locked in.”

By the end of the competition, the Wildcats weren’t only cheering for Brownell but also his fellow bowlers.

“All the other kids were pretty impressed,” Brownell said while watching the Wildcats beat Montana State Billings 14-2 on a cool February season-opening afternoon.

Butte County Special Olympics is looking for athletes and volunteers, including coaches. There is no cost. Simply submit an online application.

Brownell had Opening Day circled on his calendar “ever since last season ended.” He’s grown accustomed to the rhythm of the year, waiting anxiously throughout the summer for the beginning of fall practice. He’s been added to the coaching staff for the annual Cardinal and Black Fall Classic. When January hits, the team begins gearing up in earnest. And from that point on, he’s either at practice, a game, or watching the Wildcats on the CCAA Network almost every afternoon.

On Senior Day, just before first pitch, it’s become an annual tradition for Brownell to walk the lineup card out to home plate.

There was a time in Brownell’s life when walking was extremely challenging. He suffered a stroke at four months old, which limits his mobility on his right side but has never stopped him from pursuing his passion for athletics. He learned to swing a baseball bat one-handed, played on the Pleasant Valley High School tennis team, and has always been a strike thrower at the Chico bowling alley.

His passion for baseball blossomed during high school. It was there Brownell began honing his craft as a team’s secret weapon, providing a steady stream of good vibes—a role he continues to play at Chico State.

“I just try to be a positive influence on the guys,” Brownell said. “I try to show them that baseball is supposed to be fun. What’s most important is that we can rely on each other.”

“I just try to be a positive influence on the guys. I try to show them that baseball is supposed to be fun. What’s most important is that we can rely on each other.”

John Brownell

The Brownells served as a host family for the Chico Heat (a professional baseball organization in Chico from 1997–2002 and 2016–18). While playing for the Heat during the summer of 2015, Wildcat Josh Falco noticed the same young man he had seen throughout the Chico State campaign in the stands on a nightly basis. Falco approached Brownell and asked if he wanted his complimentary tickets.

“That’s how we connected,” Falco said. “I kept leaving him my tickets and we grew closer as the season wore on. We rolled right into fall ball, and he kept showing up to practice and became a part of the team that year.”

Falco (Sociology, ’17) and teammates RJ Hassey (Business Administration, ’18) and Cody Slader (Communication Studies, ’16) all have fond memories of spending evenings at the Brownell’s—playing cribbage with John and eating porterhouse steaks and pineapple upside down cake.

“Being there for a family dinner was such a nice change of pace for a college kid,” Falco recalls.

“The Brownells supported us in whatever we did,” said Hassey. “That was special.”

The relationship between Brownell and the team grew stronger when the Wildcats won the 2017 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament. The team brought him onto the field to join them in their victory celebration before handing Brownell an envelope of cash—collected among the players themselves—to pay for his travel expenses to the following weekend’s NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional.

It was an easy decision, according to the team’s catcher, Tyler Stofiel (Business Administration, ’20).

“We wanted him to know, without a doubt, how important he is to our team,” he said. “Johnny is a positive force for this program, and the consistency of his attitude is unmatched. It was a way to show our gratitude for the dedication he’s displayed to us every year.”

Every alumnus and current Wildcat interviewed for this piece insisted that the Brownell is more than a fan of the team. They say he’s made them better players and better people.

Many of the relationships have continued after players graduate. Brownell still talks with Hassey, Falco, Slader, and many others. He traveled to Sacramento to celebrate with Falco and his family when he earned his master’s degree. And he and Slader often discuss the latest news about the Warriors, Packers, and of course, the Wildcats.

But Brownell talks to Slader’s father, Mike, even more often.

“I talk to Johhny a few times a month,” said Slader from his home in the Bay Area. “But my dad talks to him every day.”

Thus far in 2024, the Wildcats appear to be back on the winning track with a record of 17-11 heading into this weekend’s four-game series at Cal State San Bernardino. Brownell takes tremendous pride in the role he plays as a friend, helper, and friend when he sees them succeed like that.

Brownell plays an even larger role in the eyes of their coach.

“The guys respect him, and they learn from his example that things don’t always go how you want them to, but when you have roadblocks or hurdles to clear like John does, you just control what you can control and be a good teammate—a positive influence.”

Dave Taylor

“The guys respect him, and they learn from his example that things don’t always go how you want them to, but when you have roadblocks or hurdles to clear like John does, you just control what you can control and be a good teammate—a positive influence.”

A decade in, the Wildcats continue to show their gratitude, and Brownell is still their No. 1 hype man. He’s already talking about traveling to Pomona for this year’s Conference Tournament.

“Since the fall they’ve had a winning mentality,” Brownell said. “This team has the whole package—pitching, defense, and hitting. I think it’s going to be a great year.”