While not ignoring the serious issues that face University of Nevada, Las Vegas athletics, the woman who runs the department had plenty to sell Monday in a luncheon with the media.

Ahead of Monday's Oakland Athletics-Baltimore Orioles game at Camden Yards, the crowd got to witness some serious inspiration as 5-year old Hailey Dawson threw the first pitch. Born with Poland Syndrome that resulted in an underdeveloped right hand, Hailey made the ceremonial toss using her Flexy-Hand 2, a 3-D printed prosthetic device.

All eyes were on 5-year-old Hailey Dawson before the Orioles-Athletics game Monday as Dawson -- using an Orioles-themed robotic hand -- threw the ceremonial first pitch to her favorite player, All-Star Manny Machado, several feet in front of home plate.

5-year-old Hailey Dawson was born with a rare congenital disease called Poland Syndrome, which causes underdevelopment in the pectoral muscle and sometimes affects the use of fingers on one side of the body. Hailey was unable to use her right hand, and that’s where the UNLV engineering department and its students came in.

Hailey Dawson was born with Poland syndrome, a rare birth defect that typically results in underdeveloped or missing chest muscles on one side of the body and underdeveloped hands, particularly shortened or fused fingers.

Before they root for the Orioles to complete a four-game sweep of the Athletics, fans attending at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Aug. 17 are in for a very "special" treat when they watch guest Hailey Dawson throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Kim Murga, Metro's forensic laboratory director, said untested rape kits go back to 1983, before DNA testing became more common about 15 years ago. Nevada is no different from most of the nation, which is struggling to confront rape kit backlogs and the high costs associated with catching up, she said.

Nevada colleges are getting more than $1 million in federal grants to help retain students who might otherwise drop out.

At the Baltimore Orioles game on Monday, the work of UNLV and its engineering students will be center stage as 5-year-old Hailey Dawson will throw out the first pitch using the Flexy-Hand 2, which is a 3D-printed prosthetic device created by the UNLV engineering department.