8-year-old with artificial hand to throw out Cubs’ first pitch Saturday

Hailey Dawson is on a mission to throw out the first pitch at all 30 major-league ballparks. This weekend, the 8-year-old will be in Chicago, marking off ballpark No. 6.

Dawson, who has a 3D-printed hand, is throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at the Cubs game against the Brewers Saturday at Wrigley Field.

Dawson was born with a rare birth defect called Poland Syndrome that has affected her pectoral muscle growth and caused the fingers on her right hand to be underdeveloped. UNLV’s Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering designed an artificial hand that enables her to grab objects. She can also now throw a baseball with her right hand.

The Las Vegas native caught the nation’s attention last year when Bleacher Report shared a video of Dawson, who at the time had already thrown out first pitches at Orioles and Nationals games.

“She wants to set a Guinness World Record for the most number of first pitches,” Dawson’s mother, Yong Dawson, told Bleacher Report. “She just loves it.”

Many MLB teams — including the Cubs and White Sox — responded to the tweet inviting Dawson to their ballpark.

Dawson also threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Game 4 of the World Series last year. This year, she has already thrown out a first pitch for the Padres and Giants. She also got to drop the puck for a Vegas Golden Knights game at T-Mobile Arena in her hometown.

Dawson is scheduled to throw out ceremonial first pitches at 23 MLB parks between now and fall 2018, according to UNLV. Additional teams are still being scheduled.