BALTIMORE -- For the past year, Will Ashbaugh has told his parents, Jason and Laura, how much he’d like to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before an Orioles game at Camden Yards.

“His mom and I are like, ‘That’s a cool dream to have,’ but it’s just such an opportunity you can never plan for. You can’t make that happen,” Jason Ashbaugh said.

But on Friday, it will happen. Will, a senior at Marriotts Ridge High School in Marriottsville, Md., who has autism, will throw out the first pitch before the O’s face the A’s as part of Autism Acceptance Night. Yet, that will be the second-coolest thing he gets to do.

Will has long dreamed of becoming a sports broadcaster. So during Friday’s game, he’ll be invited to contribute to the coverage of an MLB game for the first time, joining the Orioles’ MASN broadcast in the third inning, and then the O’s radio broadcast in the fourth.

“It’s pretty exciting, really,” Will said.

It's been a long time in the making for Will, an Orioles fan for the past decade who records his own broadcast calls over game highlights. He also hosts a weekly “Sports with Will” analysis segment every Friday on the Marriotts Ridge High morning announcements and helps manage the Mustangs’ baseball team.

Will might not be getting these opportunities if not for the staff at his school.

Michael Schemm, a media specialist at Marriotts Ridge, teaches the video production class that Will has been part of since last year. Schemm came up with an idea to put together a video highlighting Will’s love for both sports broadcasting and the Orioles. It was also an attempt to get Will -- a diehard superfan -- on the team’s radar.

That didn’t happen, though, until special educator Molly Milani sent the video via Instagram direct message to O’s left-hander Danny Coulombe earlier this year. It worked -- Coulombe replied to say he was passing it along to team employees, a response that left Milani, Schemm, the video production class at Marriotts Ridge and others in shock.

But Milani picked the right player to contact. Coulombe has a son with autism, and the 34-year-old reliever wears a blue glove because it’s the primary color for autism awareness.

Not long after, the invitation for Will to throw out the first pitch before Friday’s contest arrived. Then, it developed into him also getting to join the Orioles’ broadcast teams in-game in the Camden Yards booths.

“It just has been incredible and really inspiring. His family and Will deserve this so much,” Milani said. “Every step of the way has just been amazing and just a shock. As soon as I think that one thing cool is happening, we get a new piece of news.”

For Autism Acceptance Night, the Orioles are inviting organizations focused on autism awareness, acceptance and advocacy to the game. They’re donating tickets to groups such as Pathfinders for Autism, Itineris Baltimore and the Autism Society of Maryland.

A group from Pathfinders for Autism will be on the field for batting practice and will get to meet Coulombe.

Later in the night, all eyes in the ballpark will be on Will as he comes out to throw his first pitch.

“Not really nervous, I’m just really, really excited to go out there,” Will said. “I get to see the mound at Camden Yards for the first time.”

When asked to name his favorite broadcasters, Will began rattling off names from the O’s crew -- Kevin Brown, Ben McDonald, Jim Palmer, Geoff Arnold, Brett Hollander and more.

On Friday, Will’s heroes will become his peers. While spending the third inning in the TV booth, he’ll sit and talk alongside Brown and Palmer. Then, when he shifts to the radio booth for the fourth, he’ll join Arnold and Hollander on the call.

“It’s going to be exciting, get to talk to the guys for the first time and talk about how great the Orioles are doing right now,” Will said. “It’s just exciting.”

Camden Yards will be packed with supporters for both the O’s -- off to a 16-8 start this season -- and Will. The Ashbaughs said they have family coming in from out of town to attend the game and that people throughout their neighborhood are going, too.

A large number of students and staff members at Marriotts Ridge are excited as well, and there will be plenty of Mustangs in the stands to root on one of their own on a special night.

“I think it’s so amazing that he’s getting to do something that he loves so much with so many people around him who are cheering him on, and have been for years and years,” Laura Ashbaugh said. “It’s genuinely a once-in-a-lifetime dream come true, for sure.”

“It’s almost indescribable to us,” Jason Ashbaugh said. “For him to get the opportunity to go out there and be the star, it’s everything we hoped for.”