Playing in the Majors: Inside Choctaw Baseball’s Historic Weekend
Last weekend, Choctaw baseball opened their season with a bang – in a major league park.
The Mississippi College baseball team opened up their season with an unforgettable experience: the opportunity to play in a major league baseball stadium for the first time in MC history. Last weekend, the Choctaws made the trip to Houston, Texas to play at the home of the Astros, Daikin Park, formerly Minute Maid Park. They played three games over the weekend, finishing 2-1 with a tremendous comeback win in the ninth inning of game three.
The real headline this weekend for the team, though, was the experience.
“Walking down the Astros tunnel leading to the gate of the field was an awesome experience,” said pitcher Dylan Cope. “The sheer size of the stadium stood out to me. Seeing how many people come to watch MLB games and knowing I was on that field made the experience so incredible.”
Cope is a transfer from Florida State College and joined the Choctaws’ bullpen this year. Cope played two seasons for FSC before transferring to Mississippi College. He described pitching in Daikin Park as incomparable. “The experience pitching on the mound was something I have never felt in my life,” Cope said. “My heartbeat was beating faster than ever; it made it difficult to stay in the moment of the game rather than the field itself.”
The Choctaws were able to experience big league amenities, such as sitting in the team dugouts, using the Astros’ own batting cages, warming up and having batting practice on the field, and touring the facility’s locker rooms.
Of the three games the Choctaws played, all of them were decided by three runs or less. That includes a heartbreaking loss on Friday (3-2) and an impressive comeback win on Sunday (13-10). The Choctaws entered the 9th inning of game three versus Arkansas Tech down 10-6; the Choctaws rallied seven runs to take the lead 13-10 before closing it out defensively.
“Seeing the comeback unfold on Sunday was like no other,” Cope said. “We had a different type of fire lit inside each of us on Sunday when JT hit the go-ahead double. As a unit, we plan on bringing that with us for each game to come.”
The three game experience motivated the team to push as much as possible to achieve their goals this season. “The moment game three ended, I think it immediately motivated us to want more and expect more out of each other and this team collectively,” Cope said. “We want to keep that fire going within one another for the next coming months to see where we can really end up. It definitely opened my eyes to thinking how well the pros handle the crowds of 40,000 so calmly, like they aren’t even there. Without a doubt, it motivated me to want to get to [the GSC championship] to compete in front of a great crowd for something no one can take from us.”
For now, the Choctaws are back in Clinton. This weekend’s contest is a three-game home series against North Georgia starting February 7.
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