Bradley-Bourbonnais' Colin Holderman sees the bigger picture.

He'll hit homers. He'll absolutely shut you down on the mound, or go play a clean third base.

And if you look at his Twitter account, it's baseball-themed.

But it's also photos of him and teammates with members of the Best Buddies program, which pairs up local youths with handicapped individuals.

Holderman's's 21-year-old-sister, Taylor, has Angelman syndrome, which impairs physical and mental development. She's part of that special team.

"They're a big part of my life, definitely," Holderman said.

It's just one part of a player who has all the right tools to make him The Daily Journal High School Baseball Player of the Year.

The Southern Illinois University commit went 5-4 on the mound, with a minute 1.04 ERA and 72 strikeouts. And he hit a crisp .500, with six home runs.

The Class 4A all-state selection by the Illinois Baseball Coaches Association is the whole package.

"He's a really coachable kid," Bradley-Bourbonnais coach Kevin Arthur said. "He's a great player, but he's willing to learn and work hard to get better."

And he doesn't forget those who don't have it easy as he does. After a win over Bishop McNamara early in the season, he recalled Mikey Santella, a classmate who had Down syndrome and other health issues and passed away that day.

It's kids like Santella and others in the Best Buddies program that keep it all in perspective for him. He and his peers do one-on-one work and pair up with a member of the program.

"We just kind of have fun, build relationships and get to know the kids," Holderman said.

Each season, the Bradley-Bourbonnais baseball team spends a Saturday or Sunday with the Best Buddies, hanging out with them and even playing a game.

Holderman sees they have a great attitude, even with the tough hand they've been dealt.

"And just to see their outlook on life is really nice," Holderman said.

This year, Holderman helped the Boilermakers go 22-9, probably their best team since 2006, when they went to a super-sectional. That was Arthur's first season.

Holderman's squad lost its regional opener, a 5-1 setback to a solid Joliet West team. But that takes little away from how good Holderman's been in his three years on varsity.

"Individual-wise, overall, he's probably the best player I've had," Arthur said.

Arthur has heard Holderman could compete for a starting job at third base next year at SIU. Holderman's ready to help anywhere, whether it's at third or on the mound.

No matter what happens, he'll have his Best Buddies back at home. And they serve an important reminder to him as his career moves forward.

"Baseball's not everything," Holderman said.