Senior Feature: Marshall Gilbert

By Greg Campbell, Assistant Director, Communications

For a kid that grew up in what he called "Small Town, USA," where everyone knows everyone and change isn't something that occurs often, senior Marshall Gilbert has seen his fair share of variation during his journey from Kenosha, Wisconsin to Starkville, Mississippi.

"Not many people leave my hometown," said Gilbert, "and when someone does people are like 'oh, wow, they are an adventurer.' Getting to go to junior college and now Mississippi State has been very eye opening. It has helped me branch out and break outside of that niche, small town mindset."

Gilbert grew up playing sports. Being a four-sport letterwinner at Westosha Central High School in baseball, basketball, football and volleyball, he also vividly recalls the countless games of kickball in the neighborhood cul de sac and the many hunting and fishing trips he went on as a kid.

However, what he remembers the most are the values that his parents instilled in both him and his brother while growing up, and how he has carried those values with him throughout his journey.

"[My outlook on life] stems from my parents teaching [my brother and I] the way you need to go about things," said Gilbert. "If you just try to be a good person and do the right thing, it is easy to be in a good mindset. My demeanor comes from where I have been; growing up in a small town, going to junior college and now moving away from home. That journey has really shaped the person I am right now."

And what a journey it has been.

His baseball journey has included five head coaches in four years at the collegiate level. Add in a dislocated shoulder, broken nose and a knocked out front tooth, and Gilbert's trek to Mississippi State has seen as many twists and turns as a John Grisham novel.

That kind of change and adversity could make a person think about doing what was best for them, rather than looking at it with a team-first mindset. However, for Gilbert, it was more about staying in the moment and keeping the faith that he had when deciding where to start his collegiate career.

"John A. Logan [Community College] was the only offer I had coming out of high school," said Gilbert, "It was a leap of faith."

And, upon arriving at junior college, that leap of faith seemed a little more like a free fall.

"When I got to campus and met with my first junior college coach, Jerry Halstead, he sat me down and told me he had brought in another catcher that was going to be the guy," said Gilbert.

That didn't stop Gilbert from going out and winning the starting catching job as a freshman and earning NJCAA Division II second-team All-America honors. For him, it was about a mindset and "building a fire within" to succeed.

"After [Halstead] retired, he told me that he only said that to see how I was going to respond," said Gilbert. "That helped me. It pushed me to work harder to achieve my goals."

One of those goals was to make the jump from junior college to a Division I school, but first he had to develop his game on the field and find a routine that would allow him to be successful in the classroom despite a locker room with an assortment of incentives.

"At the JUCO level, you are going to get out of it what you put into it," said Gilbert. "And, there are all kinds of motivations; guys trying to finish [degrees], guys just looking for a chance to keep playing [after high school] or guys that want a chance to play at the next level."

After hitting .406 as a freshman at John A. Logan – a junior college located in Carterville, Illinois – he followed that with a .365 average during his sophomore campaign. Gilbert hit 12 home runs each season and drove in 67 RBIs, which caught the eye of then-Mississippi State head coach John Cohen's staff and led to a visit and an offer.

Upon arriving in Starkville, Gilbert quickly realized that while Starkville was still a part of the fabric of Small Town, USA in terms of population, the baseball was as big as it gets.

"Starkville is not [much bigger than] home," Gilbert said. "Everyone knows everyone, and everyone is very open and friendly. I love the weather and I love that when we show up to the field there are so many people there to support us."

The support was shocking to Gilbert, who remembers playing junior college games with a spattering of parents and scouts in the stands.

"In junior college, a lot of times the fans at the game would be a handful of family members and a bunch of scouts," said Gilbert. "So, if the scouts came to see one guy and he wasn't playing or came out of the game early, the crowd would disappear quickly."

At Mississippi State, Gilbert has been so thankful for the fan support, while also holding the values his parents instilled in him close to his heart. Those values helped Gilbert contribute to the 2018 College World Series run and now one of the best starts in program history in 2019.

They have also helped him feel at home with a fan base that loves its Diamond Dawgs.

"Coach [Jake] Gautreau told me earlier this year when I was going through a rough patch, 'there is some little kid that came [to Dudy Noble Field] to see the best players play. You can have an impact just by making that one play.'" Gilbert said. "That really stuck with me.

"I have always wanted to help people, no matter what my platform, but it never crossed my mind that one play could help someone or move someone to change their attitude. Shortly after that, I hit a home run against Jackson State and the kid that caught it brought me the home run ball. It was the coolest moment I have ever had. It really put things in perspective. He was shaking a little bit, maybe nervous, but that meant a lot to me. Those are the things that make our fans here so special to us."

Now midway through his final season on the college baseball diamond, the business administration major is focused on helping Mississippi State get back to the College World Series, but also knows that a professional career looms in the distance.

He might very well get to see some more of the small towns around the country, as he will pursue a career in baseball as long as the game will allow him.

After that, he plans to change his zip code, again.

"Baseball has allowed me to travel a lot," said Gilbert, "but there is a lot of the world that I have not seen yet. I want to play pro ball, but I also think there comes a time when you have figure out where life starts. I want to travel the world and try to find the spot where I am going to be most comfortable living. I want to go wherever the wind takes me, because it has taken me to some really cool places so far."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Senior Feature: Marshall Gilbert

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