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University baseball has almost seen a miracle at the University of Messiah this year.
The Falcons du Messiah took place until the World Series III championship match on June 5 in one of the most historic seasons in the history of the program.
But for coach Phillip Shalenberger and his team, the goal was not even to get there. Their goal was simply to be good Christians.
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Head coach Phill Shalenberger of the Falcons Messiah addresses the team in the canoe before the male baseball championship of division III against the Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks which was held in Classic Park on June 3, 2025 in Eastlake, Ohio. (Photos Isaiah Vazquez / NCAA via Getty Images)
“It ceased to become, like,” OK, can we win a national championship “, and it started to become, like” how can we point people closer to Christ? “,” Said Messiah launcher Daniel Knight, at PK Press Club Digital.
Halfway this season, after a start of 1-6, the team underwent a change of priority. They did not show up at the clubhouse every day with a main objective to win. Now they just served Christ.
“We used to sit in the video room, and we showed the other launcher and showed what the other team does and we really focused on what they were doing,” said Shalenberger. “And then almost at this time, we started to move towards diving in the word a little more. Like:” How does God want us to direct? “”
“It was a little more on devotions and a little less on the scouts. And it was actually about the moment when we started playing much better.”
Shalenberger even made his players brought 250 pounds to the team training.
“We do it in the middle of our conference season between matches,” said Shalenberger.
But once, Knight made a cross training just before a match on April 17 against Eastern. He launched eight and a third round in bleaching with nine stick withdrawals in this match.
He marked a shocking turnaround for Knight, who took a bad start to the season with a 9.26 MPM.
“It was a kind of awakening for me is that you know what the most important thing we can do is glorifying God and always having that in our first plan if that means sacrificing being in our best physically and the reason more of the reason to count on the Lord and his strength, these are the choices that began to be made after this moment,” said Knight.
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The University of the Messiah baseball can read “one -way” with a cross. (Gracieuse of Messiah University)
Knight said that the change came one morning when he read the scriptures and heard God say to him: “It is not about you.”
“When I was focused on myself, I became depressed. And then when I had this change from God said to me:” It is not about you “, I saw a change when I tried to serve others, that I received more joy,” said Knight.
Knight and the Falcons left their start of 1-6 with a 16-4 victory against the Dickinson College on March 4. From there, they have become one of the hottest teams of Division III, winning 16 of their next 19.
Along the way, Shalenberger and his players began to add scriptures to their game bracelets, where they used to place throws and signs.
“It would say:” Anyway, categorical defense “, or everything we wanted. But [Shallenberger] Adding a few words, as it looks like “abandon your hands” or “Jesus on everything”, said the field player, Drew Hurst.
“So I know for myself, there would be several times when I would make a mistake or I would withdraw to put an end to a round, then run on the field and perhaps be a little p — Ed myself. But it would always put them as a little reminder of why [we] Play this game, and it is not our performance or what we do in terms of victories, but how, with body language on the ground, shows love to Jesus and to the other team and to whom others are looking at. “”
The Messiah baseball team begs in a group. (Graciousness of Messiah Unsity)
The players also studied the characters of the Bible with Paul the Apostle becoming a favorite of the team.
They finished the regular season 27-13, then stormed the Commonwealth tournament, the NCAA Régionals, the Super Regionals, then the first two rounds of the World Series.
They did not win the trophy, losing against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in two games.
But Hurst, Knight and many other dedicated Shalenberger players will be back next year for a full potential season to put faith on victories.
