“We’re not supposed to be here.”
Bruins baseball coach Kyle Morrison keeps hearing this phrase tossed around in the team locker room. For him, the saying serves as a reminder not to take anything for granted in a season full of curveballs. For his athletes, it has become a motto motivating them for what could be their best season ever.
In August, players attended what they expected to be an early season meeting, but it was actually an announcement that the baseball program was going to be part of the University’s financial cutbacks. The staff suddenly had to scramble for new jobs. Players, many of whom enrolled specifically to play baseball, considered whether God’s plan was to transfer to a different school for playing time or to stick it out at the University. The team had arrived looking to improve on their program record 2024 season, but now it looked like they would never get the chance.
Two days later came a miracle, when a donor gave enough money to restart the program for the season. But now only a handful of players were left, too few to fill the field, let alone a whole roster. As Coach Morrison began to search for players to fill the bench, God continued to work, bringing back many who had transferred elsewhere. He also brought in many brand-new students who were willing to upend their plans to be Bruins for a semester.
After such a tumultuous offseason, both Coach Morrison and the players can see a difference in the team atmosphere this year. He pointed to the grit the team has shown, dragging themselves back into games that seemed a foregone conclusion and giving their best on every play. He especially appreciates the leadership the players have shown, pointing to examples where the veterans have gone to other players directly and coached them to a higher level. Senior Noah Weaver pointed to the new team verse, 1 Corinthians 10:31, as something that has helped cultivate a Christ-honoring atmosphere both on and off the field.
Another positive to come out of the team’s fresh start is greater success on the field. The return of former players coming to fill out the roster led to what Morrison believes is the deepest bench the program has seen, especially at the pitcher’s mound.
He is encouraged by the performances of both veterans and new recruits stepping in to replace injured starters. He mentioned batting improvements of Kyle Prouse and Conley Burk, the latter of whom became the first Bruins baseball player to be an NCCAA Student-Athlete of the Week after a recent weekend of two home runs and six runs batted in.
As the team continues its quest for its first winning season and looks to the next season (yes, they’ve been told there will be a next season), Weaver gives all the credit to the grace of God.
“Without Him working and pulling all the strings together, we would not be where we are today,” Weaver said.
You can follow the baseball team and all the other Bruins teams at bjubruins.com or on Instagram and YouTube @bjubruins.
