Community rallies around Kenosha native and Dodgers player Gavin Lux after World Series win

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Kenosha's rallying around one of their own today after the baseball player helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series. Gavin Lux was drafted to the Dodgers right after he graduated from Indian Trail High School in 2016, and as we learned today, he had many mentors who helped him along the way and were watching as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in Game 5 with a come-from-behind 7-6 win.

Back home in Kenosha, student athletes at Carthage College were watching.

"We were all laying on the couch and when we saw it was him up, we kind of got loud and were cheering a little bit so it was cool," said Izzy Hernandez, Carthage College softball player.

Lux didn't go to Carthage, but his Uncle Augie Schmidt's been coaching this baseball team for 39 years, and Lux started hanging out on campus starting at age 5.

"I remember when he hit the first ball to the outfield grass on a fly, we celebrated," said Schmidt.

Lux's devotion to the game is a big reason his uncle believes he's gone so far.

"It was never me pushing him didn't have to the kid had it man he loved it he dreamt it, and it was always Uncle Augie throw to me," said Schmidt.

Lux grew his experience playing for a travel team.

Gavin spent 6 years playing here as part of Hitters Baseball Club of Caledonia where his picture is now on the wall.

Andy Maki watched the World Series and said his phone blew up after Lux's Dodgers won.

"You know messages like your boy did it again. There's a lot of talented kids in Wisconsin and all these guys on TV now are putting Wisconsin on the map and keeping them on the map so," said Maki, General Manager, Hitters Baseball.

While those who saw him play as a teen knew he had what it takes to make the big leagues, what's so inspirational is that it was his comeback year. At age 25, Lux suffered a major injury to his leg, but he didn't give up.

"It's really a story of perseverance, hard work, he just loves baseball," said Schmidt.

Cleared at the start of this spring training, he was back, but not doing well, that is until after the All-Star Break.

"He had some struggles early in the season and a lot of it had to do with that knee and battling the mental side of it. He came home, we actually worked out for a while and he really started hitting his stride after that and for him to put in all that rehab and all that work it just had to feel, it had to feel really good for him -to be celebrating on that field because the year before he didn't get to play at all."