For some families, traditions are passed down through holiday dinners, old photographs, or even heirlooms. For the Willits family, their bond has been forged through America’s favorite pastime.

Baseball isn’t just a sport they watch, it’s the thread that weaves their family together. This week, two of the Willits are here in Cary, North Carolina, looking to continue developing the next potential Willits baseball phenom.

Sitting in the stands at the 14U National Team Championships (Champs NC), Mrs. Willits watches her youngest son, Hunter, suit up for USA Prime National. For them, however, this week serves as more than just an opportunity to win a gold medal, but also as a powerful reminder of how a single game has continuously brought her family closer together through generations of success.

That success begins with the head of the family, Reggie Willits. Mr. Willits currently works as an associate head baseball coach at his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma. Prior to his time as a coach, Reggie put together a great career with the Sooners, which ultimately led him to be selected in the seventh round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft by the Anaheim Angels.

Reggie posted a solid six-year career with the Angels, highlighted by a standout rookie campaign in 2007 when he batted .297 with 27 stolen bases. After his playing days, he spent four seasons with the New York Yankees as a first base coach. Now, when he’s not coaching a premier collegiate baseball program, Reggie uses his experiences and presence to help prepare his three sons for their futures in baseball.

Starting with the eldest of the Willits’ brothers, Jaxon, who just a couple of weeks ago, he and his Oklahoma Sooners teammates celebrated in traditional dogpile fashion in Omaha, Nebraska, after taking down North Carolina 13-2 in the College World Series championship.

The star shortstop and cleanup hitter cemented his own legacy en route to Oklahoma’s first national title since 1994. Jaxon was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player after batting an absurd .500 across the tournament. Now, Jaxon is just days away from the next story in his career, with the MLB Draft right around the corner.

Then there’s the middle brother, Eli, who made MLB Draft history last year when he was selected first overall by the Washington Nationals at just 17-years-old — the youngest ever by a No. 1 pick. Since, Eli has rapidly ascended through the minor leagues. About a month ago, Eli was promoted from Low-A to High-A after batting .300 with six home runs in just 47 games.

The National’s top prospect has yet to slow down since arriving in High-A, as he smacked five homers across his first two series for the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Time will tell what lies ahead for MLB’s top 10 prospect, but his quick progression might just speak for itself.

Yet, if you ask anyone in the family who the real MVP is, they would point straight to Mrs. Willits. Being a baseball mom often means being the backbone of all the family success. From early morning practices, constant traveling, and long, hot days in the sun, baseball has proved to be a lifestyle for Amber.

“Baseball has been our life,” Mrs. Willits said. “From the time Reggie and I got married, he decided where he was going to go play in college based on baseball. It’s been a part of our life forever and it’s very important. It’s what pays the bills and allows us to travel and spend time together. You know, there’s been good and bad with it, but it’s been fun.”

Finally, there’s the aforementioned youngest brother, Hunter. Despite all the noise surrounding his brothers and their achievements, Hunter is focused on playing his best and determined to help USA Prime National win gold.

“It’s awesome getting to play against the best competition in the country and just go out there and perform to the best of my abilities and play my hardest,” Hunter said.

But with a father who reached the pinnacle of baseball, an oldest brother who just conquered Omaha, and a middle brother who is set to become the face of a Major League franchise, the pressure can certainly feel burdensome. Luckily for Hunter, his mom is always there to reinforce the truth that he is the only person who can write his story.

“We’ve talked about how he’s got a little extra pressure on him just because of what his brothers have done,” Amber explained. “And no matter what, people are always going to say ‘Oh, well, he’s Jaxon’s little brother, he’s Eli’s little brother’ and it’s just letting him know that he’s his own person. He does his own thing, plays his own position, and whatever he does is great. He doesn’t have to live up to what anyone else has done. He can be successful in his own place.”

That’s what life is all about. Success isn’t defined by what you do, rather by who you are and how you get to where you are going.

Despite his young age, Hunter acknowledges that there’s more to baseball than winning or losing, and that having fun is the ultimate goal.

“Don’t worry about the results, go out there and just play your hardest,” Hunter explained. “Because when you worry about results, you get down; and when you get down, it’s hard to play the game.”

The extensive baseball bloodline that Hunter has had the privilege of growing up with has led to an incredible mindset on how he attacks the game of baseball. Whether it's from Reggie, Jaxon, or Eli, Hunter has grown up with ample opportunity to learn as much as he can.

“They’re everything to me. I get to hit with my dad every day when I’m home, you know, figure out something that’s wrong and fix it. I mean it’s like having a personal hitting coach at home. And then me, Jaxon, and Eli train every day in the offseason, we work out together, work defense, speed workouts, it’s awesome.”

But high-level baseball isn’t just about a perfect swing or golden glove defense. The reality is it comes with serious lows and slumps. While the boys handle the game from a physical standpoint, Mrs. Willits helps them through the mental side.

“It’s been really fun to see the success and the progress. It’s also been heartbreaking when you’re on the other side of it, seeing the broken hands and the .150’s and the not-doing-wells. So, I know making sure my kids and my family know that baseball doesn’t define you. It’s important, and it’s what we work hard for, but we love you whether you’re hitting .150 or .500.”

Like many things, baseball is full of highs and lows. While the Willits have seen plenty of highs, the occasional lows tend to seem larger. Through it all, family is what keeps all members grounded, and no accomplishment or failure will separate them.

As Hunter looks to create his own legacy, he’ll always know he has the ultimate support system behind him, and plenty of baseball experience to help guide him.