By Sophia Cashner, Staff Writer — The Akron Rubberducks affectionately call him Batman but here at GlenOak, students just call him Brudda. However, his real name is Brian Souers.

He has many nicknames because he is a part of so many different people’s lives, such as baseball players, administrators, coaches, students and employees.

Sometimes he wanders around the hallways during the school day. Many people wonder who he is and what it is he does.

Souers’ is 58 years old and has been involved with Plain Local for 54 of these years. He started as a kindergartener and he chose to stay in the district ever since. Currently, Souers is a groundsman for the high school. His main job is to keep the football stadium clean before and after the games.

“He’s the most loyal person to GlenOak that there is,” Coach Scott Garcia said. “Everywhere he goes, people know who he is and anything we ask him to do, he does.”

After graduation, Souers came back to work with the football and basketball teams. He was the ball boy for the football team for 40 years, but now he lets the younger boys do that job. He makes sure to keep an eye on them and make sure the job gets done.

Around the school, as well as in almost every aspect of his life, people call him Brudda. He also calls everyone Brudda and Sista.

“I want everybody to be like family,” Souers said.

Back when the Canton-Akron Indians were still a team, Souers was their ball boy. He continued this for the Akron Aeros and to this day, he helps with the Akron Rubber Ducks. When Souers got too old, they changed his name from Bat Boy to Batman. In the world of baseball, Batman is known among many players and teams.

Sports are Souers favorite things in life. They are a huge part of who he is. At the Akron Rubber Ducks Stadium, there is a huge painting of Souers on the walkway.

“The Rubber Ducks players are my other family,” Souers said. “I love these guys so much.”

The Rubber Ducks team is full of guys from all different states and countries. Souers is inspired that they all come together as one team in the name of baseball.

As a thank you surprise, The Rubber Ducks had a BobbleHead made to look like Souers. They called it the Bobble Belly and he threw the first pitch the night they announced his very own BobbleHead.

Throughout his life, Souers has had the opportunity to meet and become lifelong friends with numerous famous people. He knows many MLB stars such as Charles Nagy, Manny Ramirez and Francisco Lindor.

During the regular season for the Indians this summer, the Indians players gave Souers tickets for one of the games. Lindor knew that Souers was at the game. He was so excited to see him, he brought Souers down to the dugout and gave him a big hug.

“I’m the reason the Indians got to the World Series,” Souers said smiling cheek to cheek.

At the game that day, Souers told Lindor that him and the guys needed to make it to the World Series. They made it to the first round on Souers’ birthday. He had the chance to thank them for giving him the best birthday ever.

Growing up, Souers had a rough life but that did not stop there. He chose to turn it into something better.

“To be something great, you gotta love something,” Souers said.

Through his love for sports and his love for the Plain Local Community, Souers has left his mark. He was even inducted into the Stark County Baseball Hall of Fame by his teammates, most specifically, by Brian Maley.

People tell Souers that he is the real one running the show and this is what keeps him going on a day-to-day basis.

[Updated Aug. 20, 2017: This article has been reformatted for consistency.]