NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
College Baseball saw almost a miracle at Messiah University this year.
Messiah Falcons drove all the way to Division III World Series Championship Game on June 5 in one of the most historic seasons in program history.
But for coach Phillip Shallenberger and his team the goal wasn’t even to get there. Their goal was simply to be good Christians.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover at Foxnews.com
Main coach Phill Shallenberger of Messiah Falcons addresses the team in Dugout before Division III men’s baseball championship against Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks held at Classic Park on June 3, 2025 in Eastlake, Ohio. (Isaiah Vazquez/NCAA -Photos via Getty Images)
“It stopped becoming like ‘OK, we can win a national championship,’ and it started to stay, like ‘How can we point people closer to Christ?'” Messiah Pitcher Daniel Knight told Pakinomist Digital.
About halfway through this season, after a 1-6 start, the team underwent a priority shift. They no longer showed up to the clubhouse every day with a main goal to win. Now they simply served Christ.
“We used to sit in the video and we would show the other jug and show what the other team is doing and really focus on what they did,” Shinglenberger said. “And then at that time we started to change against just diving into the word a little more. Like ‘How does God want us to lead?’
“It was a little more on the devotions and a little less on the scouts. And it was actually around the time we started playing much better.”
Shallenberger even caused his players to wear 250 pounds of crosses like a team training.
“We do that right in the middle of our conference season between games,” Screenberger said.
But once, Knight did the transverse training just before a game on April 17 against Eastern. He threw eight and a third shutout round with nine strikes in this game.
It marked a shocking turn for Knight, which started to a bad start to the season with a 9.26 era.
“It was a kind of wake-up call for me that you know what the most important thing we can do is honor God and always have it in our forefront, if it means to sacrifice to be on our best physical and the more reason to trust the Lord and his strength, these are the choices that began to be made after this point,” Knight said.
Archaeologists reveal the earliest known evidence of Christianity north of the Alps: ‘unusual for this time’
Messiah University Baseball Helmet reads “One Way” with a cross. (Courtesy of Messiah University)
Knight said the change came one morning when he read the scripture and heard God tell him, ‘It’s not about you.’
“When I was focused on myself, I was depressed. And when I had the change of God that told me,” it’s not about you, “I saw a change in when I tried to serve other people that I received more joy,” Knight said.
Knight and Falcons threw themselves out of their 1-6 start with a 16-4 win against Dickinson College on March 4th. From there they became one of the hottest teams in Divison III and won 16 of their next 19.
Along the way, Shallenberger and his players began to add the writing to their play-call bracelet, where they used to place seats and characters.
“That would say, ‘no matter what, bunt defense’ or whatever we wanted. But [Shallenberger] Also added some sayings, just as you were like ‘surrendering your hands’ or ‘Jesus everywhere,’ “said Infielder Drew Hurst.
“So I know for me there would be several times when I would either make a mistake or strike out to finish an inning and then run on the field and maybe be a little on—- ed off of myself. But he would always put them on as a little reminder of why [we] Play this game and it is not about our performance or what we do victory, but how we show with body language on the field love for Jesus and the other team and who else sees us. “
Messia’s baseball team prays in a hug. (With the permission of Messiah Unversity)
The players also studied figures in the Bible where the apostle became a team favorite.
They completed the regular season 27-13 and then stormed through the Commonwealth Tournament, NCAA Regionals, Super Regionals and then the first two rounds of the World Series.
They did not come home the trophy and lost to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in two matches.
But Hurst, Knight and many of Shallenberger’s other devoted players will be back next year in a potential full season of putting faith in victories.
