Rookie of the Year: UNC Baseball's Service Dog Serves Up Fist Bumps and Love Both On and Off the Field

The star of this season’s UNC baseball team may not be in the lineup, but he's certainly in the running for MVP (Most Valuable Pup).

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A 2-year-old Golden Retriever service dog named Remington, known by the club as Remi, was brought to the team in August, and has become a favorite among the players and staff.

"The boys have a vested interest in him," Terri Jo Rucinski, the head athletic trainer at UNC, said in a video for UNC.com. "If they have a bad day, if they're not doing well in class one day [or] they have an exam, they'll come down and they'll just kind of play with him. I think he's a calming influence."

He has the same work schedule as the team's trainer and carries huge responsibilities, like taking balls to the umpire, carrying signs of encouragement that say things like "Beat Duke" and comforting players who are having a bad day.

During the national anthem, Remi even takes his hat off and holds it in his mouth.

The dog knows more than 100 commands, including opening and closing a refrigerator and offering fist bumps for players.

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"Sometimes it's not fun to go through therapy, but if he's there and they're petting him or they'll throw his ball for him and things like that and then pretty soon they are all laughing," Rucinski said.

The adorable dog even has his own Instagram page, where he shows off his love of the team and the game.

 

Wishing the #unc #DiamondHeels Good luck today! Beat those #ecu #pirates and bring home the #W! #tarheels #goheels #baseball #healtheheels #homerunremington #assistancedogs #transforminglives #servicedog #facilitydog #paws4people #paws4vets #goldenretriever #goldensofinstagram #goldensofinsta #goldensofig #dailydog #dailyfluff

A post shared by REMINGTON Paws (@homerunremington) on Mar 22, 2017 at 12:10pm PDT

 

Sending good luck and licks to @unc_basketball today! #goheels! #beatduke! #paws4people #assistancedogs #transforminglives #healtheheels #tarheels #unc #homerunremington #facilitydog #servicedog #goldenretriever #goldensofinstagram #goldensofinsta #goldensofig

A post shared by REMINGTON Paws (@homerunremington) on Mar 10, 2017 at 9:42am PST

 

It's a great day for #UNC #baseball! Come on out to the #Bosh cheer on the #DiamondHeels! Today's first pitch is at 2:00! #goheels #tarheels #healtheheels #homerunremington #paws4people #paws4vets #assistancedogs #transforminglives #facilitydog #servicedog #goldenretriever #goldensofinstagram

A post shared by REMINGTON Paws (@homerunremington) on Mar 4, 2017 at 7:41am PST

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