Thursdays With Greg Byrne - 2/18/10
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FIRST PITCH FETE TONIGHT, REAL FIRST PITCH TOMORROW
Baseball's First Pitch Banquet is tonight at the Griffis Boardroom and Palmeiro Center. Another big crowd is expected for the annual opening of the Diamond Dawg baseball season. Tickets are available at the door for $32 apiece, which includes a buffet-style dinner and program.
Tomorrow, Coach Cohen's team throws out the first pitch of the 2010 season at Dudy Noble Field. Rhode Island will be the opponent and we will get underway at 4 p.m. The Rams will be here for a three-game series, with Saturday's game set for 2 p.m. and Sunday's contest at 1:30.
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MORE POSITIVE FEEDBACK
We recently received this email regarding baseball's father-son banquet:
Dear coaches,
I want to thank you for the fantastic camp you put on this year. I took it upon myself to enact the "Appreciation Letter" and could not think of a more special group than you guys at MSU. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how much fun it was to spend the weekend with my son at the place he loves the most and the staff made it that much more enjoyable with their hospitality and encouragement. Every year we have attended, we go home a stronger family and take little tidbits back to our community and spread the wealth of knowledge you have given us. My wife and I hope that someday our children will grow up to be well-rounded adults, and by exposing them to individuals like the baseball coaching staff at Mississippi State, I think we have started down the right path.
Thank you so much. You guys do not realize how much you have influenced my son's life as well as mine. I only hope you guys get that kind of satisfaction in return.
I want to wish you guys the best, and Go Bulldogs! And that's coming from a FORMER Ole Miss fan!
God bless,
Guy and Gabriel Lacy
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GILREATH - A NEW SEASON IN LIFE
In this column last week, we mentioned that Josh Gilreath would be leaving as Fellowship of Christian Athletes Director at Mississippi State University. Josh sent along this message:
"Last weekend FCA hosted its annual College Getaway. Over 200 college athletes from around the state of Mississippi were in attendance. I have literally seen 100's of lives impacted at this event over the years, including mine. The event is very special to me because 11 years ago when I attended as a walk-on linebacker at MSU, God called me to the ministry. After 3 years in the coaching ranks I was given the opportunity to serve as the MSU FCA director for the last 8 years. It is only appropriate that the event where God started my journey with FCA would be the event where God concluded it.
As of February 15th, I will resign from my post as MSU/District 1 & 4 FCA Director. I could never put into words what FCA has meant to me. The relationships that God has allowed my wife and me to forge during our time with FCA are phenomenal.
I have had the honor of co-laboring with the best FCA board in America. Our local FCA board has worked extremely hard to make sure that this ministry was one of excellence. They have locked arms with me over the past 8 years as we have worked diligently to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. They have taken FCA to new heights and will only continue to take FCA farther.
FCA cannot function without finances. Over 500 people have been so faithful to give sacrificially to make sure our staff were paid, to make sure students had Bibles, and to scholarship students to FCA camps. I pray for this group often. I am indebted to you for your faithfulness over the years and pray that you will continue to support our hard-working staff.
Mark Boren, Alex Hagler, and Cortez McCraney are the current FCA staff at MSU and in the District. They are truly like my brothers and sister. We have worked together as family in spreading the Gospel. We have climbed mountains and walked through valleys together. These are some of the godliest people I know. They will continue to be faithful in proclaiming the Gospel and by the grace of God will take the ministry of FCA to new levels. Ashlea and I are also indebted to the numerous FCA staff around the country. You could not ask for a more God honoring group of people to work alongside.
The MSU athletic department has welcomed me and considered me family for my entire 16 years as a walk-on, Graduate Assistant, and FCA director. Larry Templeton and Coach Sherrill opened the door for FCA at MSU. Since then our current administration has held that door open wide and everyone in the department and all our coaches have welcomed my staff and me. Every coach has opened doors for us to minister to their teams. My wife and I so many memories surrounding MSU athletics and we are forever thankful for you opening the door to us.
The student athletes we have had the opportunity to work with over the course of the years have given us way more than we could ever give them. The impact they will have on the world will not be fully known until we get to heaven.
Fortunately Ashlea and I will not be leaving Starkville! So our heart is that all the relationships God has allowed us to cultivate over the last 8 years with FCA will only continue to grow as we enter a new season of life at Pinelake Church. Pinelake currently has 3 campuses; one in Brandon, Madison, and Clinton. The fourth campus will be coming to Starkville soon and I will have the honor of serving as the Pastor for Pinelake Starkville. I am very humbled to join the staff of such a life-giving dynamic church like Pinelake. I'm very impressed with the spiritual men that God has placed in leadership at Pinelake and I am extremely honored to lock arms with them in ministering to the Starkville community. It is my hope that Pinelake Starkville will become a place where people of all ages and from all socio-economic and racial backgrounds will come together and share the abundant life that is found in Jesus Christ! And by leveraging the opportunities of being connected to the already established Pinelake family, I am expecting that Pinelake Starkville will be a church that impacts the nations.
Ashlea and I hope you all know that although my employment contract with FCA will be severed, our love for you and for the ministry of FCA will continue for eternity. Our home, our phone, our email, and our new church will always be open to you. Please let us know how we can continue to serve you.
As we follow His footsteps.
May God Bless You Always and In All Ways,
Josh and Ashlea Gilreath"
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SPECIAL THANKS TO A SPECIAL GROUP
Four groups of folks went together to help purchase maroon and white pom poms for our basketball game last week against Ole Miss. We wanted to use this space to personally thank Ken Jackson of Ridgeland, Jimmy and Evelyn Cowan of Aberdeen, Tally and Peggy McGraw of Ridgeland, and Larry and Jackie Sumrall of Laurel for contributing on the purchase. We really appreciate your support.
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IT'S MAROON FRIDAY
When you come to the baseball game Friday, make sure you are in your maroon. The initiative continues into the spring! Are you in the maroon?
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We appreciate what you do for Mississippi State Athletics and want to encourage you to get others involved. There are three things you can do to help Mississippi State reach its desired goals -
1. Buy Season Tickets
2. Financially Support the Bulldog Club
3. Get Others To Do The Same
Thanks for taking the time to read this update.
Go Dawgs!
Greg Byrne
byrne@athletics.msstate.edu
Follow me on Twitter (@Greg_Byrne)