A former Somers High School football coach got to throw the first pitch at his recreational softball team's season opening game at Reis Park on Monday after fighting a mystery virus that nearly killed him.

Steve McNamara is a member of the A & S Deli recreational softball team.

He said the virus that he was fighting put him in the hospital for over 70 days.

He said his organs failed and he had to have a heart transplant after the virus stopped his heart from working.

He's still on a long road to recovery, but the softball player says he's making progress every day.

Before the game on Monday, News 12 caught up with him to learn what throwing out the first pitch meant to him.

"It means so much, not only to myself, to my family," McNamara said. "Thank God. He did this."

McNamara isn't back out on the field playing just yet, but his family and friends watched on from the sidelines as he made his team proud.