You may have never heard of Birmingham-Southern College, but their baseball team has captured the country's heart and shown how a community should come together and rally around a team.
BSC (Birmingham Southern College) told its students and staff that it would be closing its doors on May 31 after 168 years due to financial issues. There was a problem: the BSC men's baseball team was competing to play in the D-III College World Series, and if they made it, they would be playing after May 31, the date the school officially shut down. They would be playing for a school that no longer existed.
At the time of the announcement, the team was 13-10, and it would have been easy for the team to hang it up and plan for their next steps. But that didn't happen. The team went on a 19-4 run to end the season and had the opportunity to play for the D-III College World Series. With no resources available from the school, the community and fans from around the country stepped up. A GoFundMe page was created, raising over $100,000 for the team to continue. The dream continues on.
On Friday, May 31, the day BSC closed its doors forever, the Panthers had a tough loss in the opening rounds of the D-III World Series. But on Saturday, facing elimination, some magic happened, and they won the game with a walk-off home run to beat Randolph-Macon.
The story would come to an end on Sunday when Birmingham-Southern lost to Wisconsin-Whitewater. The team returned home with a story and bond they will never forget.
So how was Birmingham-Southern able to turn their season around? Players said they started to play loose because there was nothing to lose, an important message I think we can all learn from. This experience brought this group of guys together and built a bond they will never forget. They left the field for the last time hand in hand to honor their team and the ones before them.
コメント