Hunter Hilte may play shortstop for his little league baseball team, but his favorite player is Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis.
On Monday, Hunter, a second-grader at Ducketts Lane Elementary School in Elkridge, had a chance to meet Davis when the Orioles' star surprised Hunter and his classmates.
"It was really fun, and I was nervous because I didn't really know he was going to come," Hunter said.
Davis visited Ducketts Lane for about an hour Monday—the result of Hunter's father, Joe, placing the winning bid for Davis' visit during the Orioles Stand Up To Cancer auction in December.
"I can't tell you how nice of a guy Chris is," Hilte said after Davis' visit.
Davis surprised Hunter and his classmates during recess before joining them for lunch.
Davis and Hunter, 7, shared baseball stories and discussed Davis' favorite subject in school, among other things over lunch.
"He pretty much knew everything about me, which was pretty cool," Davis said.
Davis also gave Hunter a game hat, signed baseball bat and brought an Orioles T-shirt for each of Hunter's classmates.
"It's always fun to come back to places you've been, a long time ago for me, but a lot of fond memories and just fun to be here and be with the kids," Davis said.
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Davis admitted that he didn't eat all of his chicken poppers at lunch, but said he enjoyed hanging out with Hunter and his family.
"Hopefully, we'll get to see him out at the ballpark and get to hang out a little more," he said.
Ducketts Lane staff members seemed just as excited to meet Davis as the students.
School Principal Heidi Balter said the students only knew that "someone famous" would be visiting.
"It was hard to keep it a secret, but everyone did a great job," Balter said. "The students had no idea."
Shortly after Davis left, Hilte called the experience "amazing" for his son.
"I feel like this is a memory that's going to last with him forever that he got to meet his idol here and have lunch with him," Hilte said.