MC Kinesiology, Athletics to host ‘Game Day 200’
Student leaders discuss event plans, attendance goals and hopes for long-term impact.
The Mississippi College Department of Kinesiology is teaming up with Choctaw Athletics to host “Game Day 200.” The event, to be held before and during baseball and softball games, will happen on Saturday, April 18. Organizers say they hope 200 students will participate. The goal is also a nod to MC’s 200th birthday and the ongoing Bicentennial celebration.
Tailgating, giveaways, raffles and competitions will highlight the event. Sam Gibson, a student and intern for the MC Department of Kinesiology, is serving as the main organizer for Game Day 200. The sophomore said he hopes the festivities will raise student involvement and interest in supporting MC Athletics. “200 active students to this event, that is my biggest goal,” Gibson said. “After that, I just hope we win, I hope everyone has a good time, I hope this is something everyone can look back and say ‘wow, remember that tailgate we had.’”
Saturday will be a busy day on the field with three games total for the two MC teams. The Mississippi College baseball team will play a doubleheader against the University of West Florida, concluding a three-game series. The first game will start at 1 p.m. and the second at 4 p.m. The team goes into the weekend with a 24-18 record and has clinched its Gulf South Conference Championship berth earlier this week. The MC softball team will also conclude a three-game series against West Florida at 1 p.m. The team goes into the weekend with a 25-16-1 record.
Gibson, a sports management major, said that the idea behind Game Day 200 came during a sports management class where his professor, Suzanne McDonough, worked with him in developing the concept. “Dr. McDonough talked about a project she wanted to do as far as this thing called ‘gameday,’” Gibson said. “I was just in class, throwing out ideas with her, and we were just kind of in a flow state, and I said, ‘What if we tried to get 200 students for the 200th year [of MC]?’”
Another student, Aidan Castillo, a junior exercise science major, is assisting Gibson in organizing and advertising the event. Both students made it clear that their hopes for Game Day 200 are about long-term student involvement with athletics. Castillo, also a member of the Student Government Association, commented on his experience in planning Game Day 200. “We are trying to get all of these student organizations, along with athletics, to incentivize students to show up so that we can continue to support athletics throughout the next couple of years,” Castillo said. “I will tell you, it’s been hectic behind the scenes, but we ultimately hope to leave an imprint on the coming years.”
To reach their ambitious goal of 200 total students in the stands for baseball and softball, the MC Kinesiology Department is supplying certain giveaway items for students. Gibson said that upon arrival, students can check in at a table and receive MC Athletics merchandise such as T-shirts, water bottles and bags.
The department is also hosting raffles that students will be entered into at the games. The grand prizes are two Turtlebox Ranger Bluetooth speakers. For the baseball game, the winner will be announced after the seventh inning, and after the fifth inning for softball.
For Gibson and Castillo, Game Day 200 is more than just fans in the stands; they hope the event can be an opportunity for students to come out and enjoy themselves before the busy season of final exams begins. “The vision that I have is everybody coming out — clubs, tribes, alumni — really just a great time,” Gibson said. “I hope everyone has a great time.”
Admission to the games and participation in Game Day 200 programming are free for MC students.