Miracle League Baseball a Hit in Asbury's Book
Senior Tyler Weaver (left), a member of the Asbury University baseball team, spent a Saturday morning with the Toyota Bluegrass Miracle League.
Jake Parsons runs onto the baseball field the same way he does most Saturdays in the fall... eager, ready and thankful for the opportunity to play.
On this particular cool Saturday morning, Parsons’ jog through the infield to warm up for his Toyota Bluegrass Miracle League game is a little different, though. This time, there’s a team of collegiate baseball players waiting for him... eager, ready and thankful for the opportunity to play.
With more than a dozen representatives, the Asbury University baseball team volunteered to spend a day at the ballpark with the TBML, a league in Lexington, Ky., formed to give children with special needs that important opportunity to play. The Eagles athletes helped the TBML players with their batting, fielding and throwing, but also shared the hugs and high-fives that occur not only at every game, but occur after every at-bat.
Dani Pruitt rounds the bases with encouragement from Asbury senior Danny Olszowy.
"I enjoyed seeing the pure joy on the faces of each of the kids as they played,” said Asbury senior outfielder Danny Olszowy. “They genuinely enjoyed our company, and it was obvious that they wanted to interact with us. That brought us a great amount of joy and was fulfilling because that was exactly what we came to bring."
Asbury — just 10 miles south of Lexington — is a Christian, liberal-arts university committed not only to academic excellence, but also a spiritual vitality that leads to heavy community involvement and work in the mission field around the world. In just the past few months, Asbury athletic teams have taken mission trips to Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, and other teams have volunteered with various organizations in and around Central Kentucky.
"God has called us to go out and help those in need, and we usually go into it thinking we are going to make a huge impact in someone’s life,” said Asbury senior infielder/pitcher Josh Cummins. “But what always happens is we get closer to God and more out of it than we give to them. It’s the same for the Miracle League. We went there to be a light to these kids and to love on them, but they were more of a light to us and changed us way more than we could ever have changed them."
For more information about the TBML or Asbury University athletics, please visit:
