ARTCK A T T A
page 6 & 7
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014
Indiana’s Oldest College Newspaper
VOL. 163, ISSUE 17
DePauw baseball trades in uniforms for costumes to give back to local little league BY AUSTIN CANDOR sports@thedepauw.com
DePauw University’s baseball team got creative and made the most of Halloween Saturday afternoon when they played a scrimmage in costumes. The team used the event as a way to give back to the Greencastle community. During the game, fans could donate to the Greencastle Youth Baseball League. “I think it’s important for our guys to recognize how much younger kids look up to them,” DePauw Head Coach Jake Martin said. “It was a great way to… give back to the community, but also for baseball… to keep promoting it in whatever way they can.” For the most part, the players organized the event. “They asked for permission to use the field, and that was about as far as it went with me,” Martin said. “I was really proud of them. I think it was a good thing for the senior group to take initiative to do that.” Senior pitcher Jack Peck took lead on the event. “I’ve had friends at other schools that have done Halloween practices in
costumes, so I figured it would be fun to play a slow pitch softball game in costumes,” Peck said. “I think it went well considering we threw it together last minute.” Although the seniors planned the event, the entire team participated in the game. “It was the most fun I have had in a while,” said first-year outfielder Clifford Chi, who played as Coffee Black from the movie “Semi-Pro." “The energy brought to the team was well worth it.” Although DePauw's players had a good time, their main goal was helping the little league. “We figured that having people watch us play in ridiculous costumes would be a good and fun way to help the Greencastle little league,” said first-year pitcher Jack Norton, who went as a DLeague basketball player. The rain on Friday afternoon forced organizers to push the game to Saturday. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t much better on Saturday. “We ended up with fewer fans in seats than we had hoped for,” said Misti Scott, treasurer and secretary for Greencastle Youth Baseball. “Next time around, we’ll order sun and 70 degrees.”
Regardless of the turnout, people, including Tim West, president of Greencastle Little League, noticed the effort put forth by the players. “This money will go towards our facilities like adding more dirt to our fields and fixing the pitchers’ mounds,” West said. “I would like to thank the DePauw baseball team for all that they did helping our organization.” Scott also expressed appreciation. “The game was a wonderful gift from the DePauw community to our young, aspiring athletes,” Scott said. “The DePauw players are role The DePauw baseball team hosts a softball game charity event, dressing in models for the youth, and costume Saturday. All proceeds benefitted the Greencastle Little League. PHOTO the costumes were an espe- COURTESY OF ERIN MANN cially fun way to connect the younger players with the colhopefully they remember this and give can draw a little bit more attention to it.” lege team.” back to the game when they are older.” With this event on the books, the The event hit home for many of the Although this event is the first of its Tigers get to work on their offseason Tigers, since several players began their kind, the baseball team looks to make workouts. They have a North Coast baseball careers in little leagues. the game a new DePauw tradition. Athletic Conference championship to “Baseball has given us so much in “It’s a good start,” Martin said. “I defend when the season begins in the life,” Chi said. “When I was a little leagu- think if it becomes a yearly thing, they spring. er, I looked up to the older kids a ton, so
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