Nearly every young boy that has ever stepped onto a baseball field has dreamed of playing in the World Series.

Beallsville’s Dustin Nippert is no different.

The right-hander will realize that ultimate dream tonight when the Texas Rangers meet the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series at AT&T Park in the Bay City.

“Dustin started playing baseball when he was four years old,” his mother, Penny, said over the telephone Tuesday afternoon. “He always talked about playing professional baseball, but I can’t ever remember him talking about the World Series. At least not to me and my husband.”

She said the family will be traveling to Texas over the weekend to take in Games 3 and 4.

“It’s going to be real exciting.”

As of late this morning, the Rangers were playing coy with their roster for the Fall Classic and reported they wouldn’t announce their 25 players until the deadline today.

That’s nothing new, though. They did the same thing for the first two series. There’s only one spot to be determined. Either Nippert or Mark Lowe, both right-handed relievers, will be added to the roster, and either Clay Rapada or Michael Kirkman, both left-handers, will be removed.

Although the 6-8 Nippert didn’t appear on the Rangers’ second round roster when they defeated the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, he did make one appearance in the first round win over Tampa Bay.

According to Beallsville Athletic Director Delmas Moore, excitement over Nippert’s trip to the ‘Big Show’ is building in the tiny Monroe County community.

“The people down here are pleased that one of their graduates has made it this far,” Moore said Tuesday afternoon. “I showed the students the other day where Dustin used to sit in my class,” Moore, who taught him government, American history and world history for three years, added.

“Dustin was a very nice, pleasant kid. He was your typical kid, however,” Moore continued. “I live a mile down the road from the family and my son (Eric) used to run around with Dustin and his twin brother Derik, so we became good friends with the family.”

Moore also explained that Dustin’s youngest brother, Logan, is a freshman at Beallsville.

“He’s really excited,” Moore added. “I understand that the entire family is going down (to Texas) this weekend.”

Whether Dustin is activated or not, he will still be in uniform and travel with the team. He will also most likely receive a share of the Rangers’ post-season winnings, and possibly a World series ring.

No matter, he will live his life-long dream by just being there.

Good luck, Dustin.

On a side note, way back before spring training had been completed, yours truly predicted that the Rangers would not only win the American League West and AL pennant, but I also penned that they would capture the World Series. I’m only four wins away.

North can be reached at knorth@timesleaderonline.com