When Messiah University’s baseball team started their 2024 season with a disheartening 1-6 record, things looked bleak. But what followed wasn’t just a turnaround—it was a testimony.

Rather than focus harder on strategy and stats, the Division III Falcons made a radical decision: stop caring about winning and start playing for Christ.

“It stopped becoming about, like, ‘OK, can we win a national championship,’ and it started becoming, like, ‘How can we point people closer to Christ?'” said pitcher Daniel Knight in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The heart shift began mid-season. Instead of studying opponents in the film room, the team gathered to study scripture. They shifted from scouting reports to devotionals—and that’s when everything changed.

Head Coach Phillip Shallenberger explained, “At about that point, we started shifting toward just diving into the Word a little bit more. Like, ‘How does God want us to lead?’ It was a bit more on the devotionals and a bit less on the scouts. And that was actually about the time we started to play a lot better.”

In what may be one of the more literal interpretations of “taking up your cross,” Shallenberger had his players carry 250-pound wooden crosses during a workout in the middle of their conference season.

Knight took part in that grueling exercise just before a game against Eastern University. He went on to throw eight and a third shutout innings with nine strikeouts. Not bad for someone who had started the season with a 9.26 ERA.

“For me, it was kind of a wake-up call,” Knight shared. “The most important thing we can do is glorify God. If that means sacrificing being at our best physically, all the more reason to rely on the Lord and His strength.”

The turnaround came after a moment of quiet conviction. Knight said that one morning, while reading scripture, he heard the Lord say, “It’s not about you.” That message changed everything.

“When I was focused on myself, I was becoming depressed. And then when I had that shift… I saw a change. When I was trying to serve other people, I was receiving more joy,” Knight said.

The Falcons started winning—big. After their early slump, they surged with a 16-4 win over Dickinson College and won 16 of their next 19 games. But faith remained the focus. The team even added Bible verses and faith reminders to their wristbands, once used only for pitch calls.

Infielder Drew Hurst recalled messages like “Jesus over everything” and “Surrender your hands” helping him keep perspective during tough moments.

“I would make an error or strike out and feel upset, but I’d look down and be reminded why we play,” Hurst said. “It’s not about our performance or win-wise… but how we show love to Jesus, the other team, and whoever else is watching us.”

Though Messiah fell just short in the Division III World Series final to Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Falcons’ story was nothing short of miraculous.