“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1
Throughout my major league career, I had coaches above me, contemporaries beside me and call-ups replacing me. Coaches are the men who have gone through the battle. They are there to instruct, inspire, mentor and help you succeed on and off the field. The good ones see this as a calling and not just a career.
After the game, most baseball players miss the relationships with contemporaries more than the grind on the field. For call-ups, it can be very intimidating being around MLB veterans. But there’s a tradition of veterans taking care of younger players. They teach them how to win on the field, but also how to carry the torch for the next generation.
How does this apply spiritually? We need to have a coach in our life who has been through battles and can guide us through life’s challenges in a Christ-centered way. We need to surround ourselves with contemporaries to live life with, that we can encourage and have fun with along the way. And we need to share the Gospel and pour into a young person who wants to grow in their faith with Christ.
Paul was that coach to Timothy — the young call-up. Barnabas was a contemporary in Paul’s life who always looked out for him and was by his side. Spiritual life can mirror the baseball life if you look for a Paul, live with a Barnabas, and leave what you learned with a Timothy.
– Eddie Taubensee, Director of Baseball Ministries at The Increase
OneCoach, part of the Sports Spectrum Network, is an international community of coaches and spouses who have been uniquely gifted and called by God. Visit OneCoach.org for more stories and videos.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt celebrates a walk-off hit, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
It didn’t take long for JJ Wetherholt to get settled in at the major-league level. His first big-league hit came in his second at-bat with a solo home run to center field.
The next game, he delivered a two-run walk-off base hit in extra innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals start the season 2-0. Through five games, he’s batting .300 with that one home run, four RBIs and a stolen base.
Since Wetherholt was drafted as the No. 7 overall pick in 2024, he’s been touted for his calm demeanor and ability to stay composed in big moments. He’s “unflappable,” as some would describe it.
That’s a good thing, considering the expectations for him are sky high. He’s the organization’s top prospect and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB.com. But perhaps more importantly, he’s the centerpiece of a young, rebuilding Cardinals team hoping to get back to consistent winning after a few down years.
The Cardinals wasted little time getting him to the big leagues as he progressed through the minor-league system in less than two years and made the opening day roster this season as the team’s starting second baseman and leadoff hitter. All of this could be a lot of pressure for a young player, but he’s grounded enough in his faith in God that he’s able to stay confident on the field.
“I honestly just give praise to God for giving me the spirit of calmness in situations like that,” he said to reporters after his first game, in which he hit the home run. “I really just look to Him in those moments.”
After his second game and the walk-off hit, he told reporters that singing his walk-up song — “Bring Heaven Down” by Christian hip-hop artist Hulvey — as he’s approaching the plate helps him get in the “zone.” He also peeks at his wrist to see his bracelets, which reference Philippians 4:13 and Matthew 28:20.
“I read those every single time,” he said to reporters, “and when I’m in big situations like that, it’s just a constant reminder that God’s with me, and that’s what I take to the plate.”
Wetherholt is still young at just 24 years old, but he’s maturing quickly in his faith, especially considering that he started to really pursue a personal relationship with Christ just a few years ago as a sophomore in college at West Virginia University. While speaking last year at a Faith and Family Night for the Memphis Redbirds (the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate), he shared how he grew up Catholic in Pittsburgh and was confirmed in the faith when he was young, but didn’t really feel like he knew the Lord personally.
“I had a Bible that I liked, but I never really read it,” he told the crowd. “I didn’t really understand the Word at all. I just knew about this guy named Jesus and that He would forgive me of my sins.”
As he grew older and went through high school, he lived a life that was not exactly honoring to God. That continued when he first started playing baseball at West Virginia.
During his sophomore year, however, he was approached by a chaplain, who told him about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Wetherholt started attending meetings. He convinced a few teammates to go at first, and about 20 ultimately started attending regularly.
“That’s kind of where it all started for me — where I started to read the Word, where I started to listen more, engage in conversations with community, and just really learn about actually who Jesus was and how much He loved me and cared for me,” Wetherholt said. “That was probably the turning point of my life.”
Though he was supremely talented, he dealt with performance anxiety and constantly found himself worried that something bad might happen. But he was able to change his approach and focus on playing for an audience of One.
Around that same time, he became a leader for the campus chapter of FCA. As his faith grew, he started having a breakout season on the field.
“That’s kind of when everything changed for me,” he told the Memphis fans. “That sophomore year was the best year I’ve had in my life in baseball. I became a nationally ranked prospect, and it was also the year that I came to the Lord. I can say that year I just took pressure off myself and just gave it all to God.”
Now as a pro, Wetherholt — who says he’s a “Follower of Christ” on Instagram — stays in contact with that team chaplain and is working to grow deeper in his faith every day.
“I try to keep my routines good and read the Word every day,” he said during the Faith and Family Night. “Although I slip many times, the Lord still loves me and I feel that love each and every day. So I go out there just trying to be a light, trying to shine some light for those who may not believe and those who do believe. Trying to show that you can still live this lifestyle while being a professional athlete.”
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING PATRICK BAILEY
Patrick Bailey is the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants. He was a first-round selection in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Giants and made his MLB debut with the team in May 2023. Bailey won back-to-back Gold Glove awards in 2024 and 2025, and last year became the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off inside-the-park home run and a walk-off grand slam in the same season.
Today on the podcast, Matt Forte talks with Patrick Bailey about his faith in Jesus, winning two consecutive Gold Glove awards, and the identity battle he’s faced in keeping baseball in proper perspective.
North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
The results on the court have been up and down for Hubert Davis in his five years as the head coach at North Carolina. What’s remained consistent, however, is his faith in Jesus and willingness to be bold in sharing it.
After serving as an assistant coach for Roy Williams from 2012-2021, Davis was elevated to head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season. From the start, he said he viewed his job as more than just coaching basketball.
“I’ve said this a number of times, that I’ve been put, placed, purposed and planned to be in this position at such a time as this,” Davis said on “The Drive with Will Dalton” ahead of this season. “I’m on assignment. It is missionary work. It’s an act of service … it’s a position of great honor, and I love being in [it].”
That perspective hasn’t changed, even as the results and the sport itself have.
On the court, his team’s next task is a first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday against a No. 11-seeded VCU team that just won the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. The No. 6-seeded Tar Heels enter the tournament looking to right the ship following a 15-point loss to rival Duke in the regular-season finale and a one-point loss to Clemson in their first game of the ACC Tournament.
After a first-round loss last year, UNC is looking to rekindle some of the magic that led to a run to the 2022 championship game in Davis’ first season at the helm. They’ll have to do so without star forward and projected NBA Draft lottery pick Caleb Wilson, who led the team in scoring (19.8 points per game), rebounds (9.4), steals (1.5) and blocks (1.4) before undergoing season-ending thumb surgery in early March.
UNC missed the NCAA Tournament the year after the runner-up finish, but returned as a No. 1 seed in 2024. That season ended with a Sweet 16 loss, however, to No. 4-seeded Alabama.
The topsy-turvy nature of UNC’s results have coincided with significant changes in the college game, most notably the transfer portal and NIL (name, image and likeness) rules that allow for players to make upwards of six or seven figures in some cases. That has resulted in heavy roster turnover, including losses of key Tar Heels like Caleb Love and Elliott Cadeau.
While some coaches have stepped away amid the changing landscape, Davis has embraced the challenge.
“Obviously there’s differences, but I think it’s been really exciting to maneuver through the differences in college athletics,” Davis told Dalton. “But again, with all the changes, my mission and my assignment haven’t changed at all. It’s to be in these kids’ lives and be able to serve them and give back to them.
“Regardless of how many changes happen, my assignment has stayed the same. I love this assignment. I enjoy it. As I’ve said before, it’s a privilege to be in this position, having a front-row seat to be able to do it on a daily basis.”
That sense of purpose is rooted in Davis’ own story.
Before his coaching career — and even before his 12-year NBA journey — Davis was a player at North Carolina under legendary coach Dean Smith from 1988-1992. It was during that time that his faith in Christ took shape.
In 1990, just before his junior year, Davis attended a service at Chapel Hill Bible Church while searching for answers following the death of his mother two years earlier.
“During that time, I was really struggling,” Davis said on Dalton’s show. “I was going to a number of churches, and the reason being I was looking for answers. I was looking for answers in regards to why my best friend, my mom, passed away two years earlier of cancer. That’s the only reason I was going to church.”
After that church service, a man named Mike Echstenkamper — who was working with Athletes In Action on the UNC campus — approached him.
“He introduced himself and I broke down crying,” Davis told Dalton. “I met him on campus the next day, and that was the day I accepted Christ into my life.
“I was going to church looking for answers, and obviously I never found that answer. But I did find out and was able to see the things that my mom told me — how much Jesus loved me and the plan and purpose that He had for me.”
“When I’m asked a question, the only thing I know how to do is to be myself,” he told Dalton. “My personality is my personality and this is what you get for 55 years. I’m very secure and confident in my own skin and I feel very passionate about the things that I love and care about.”
UNC and VCU tip off at 6:50 p.m. ET Thursday on TNT.
He jogged into second base and immediately burst into celebration — looking to the sky and pointing upward as he began to pray. He had just delivered what may stand as the most significant moment in Venezuela’s sports history.
“What can I say about this? It’s amazing,” he told Fox Sports after the game. “God is good. All the glory is for the Lord Jesus. He was with us the whole time. We have to glorify [Him], put His name in front of everything.”
After Venezuela’s Andrés Machado struck out American Roman Anthony for the final out, Suárez and his teammates poured out of the dugout in celebration. Like several of his teammates, Suárez had a Venezuelan flag ready, grabbing it as he sprinted onto the field before dropping to his knees, again looking to the sky in prayer and praise.
Venezuela played with visible emotion throughout the tournament, with several players saying a championship would mean more than anything else in their careers. It “means everything,” Suárez said after his team’s semifinal win over Italy.
“We’re not just teammates — we’re family,” he said after the championship game. “This team is awesome. We are family here. That’s why we play with passion, with love, because we feel the jersey. We feel our country in front of us.”
This is one of the best post game interviews you’ll ever see from Eugenio Suarez of Venezuela.
Venezuela took a 2-0 lead thanks to a sacrifice fly by Maikel Garcia and a home run by Wilyer Abreu. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez and the bullpen held the Team USA offense scoreless until Bryce Harper delivered a game-tying home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Luis Arraez walked to lead off the top of the ninth, then Javier Sanoja came on as a pinch runner and immediately stole second base on a close play that Team USA manager Mark DeRosa unsuccessfully challenged. Then Suárez delivered.
After struggling for much of the tournament, it was the second straight game that Suárez delivered a key hit for his team. His solo home run helped propel Venezuela to a 4-2 win over Italy in the semifinal.
Venezuela went 3-1 in pool play to advance to the knockout stage, then defeated defending-champion Japan in the quarterfinals. After taking out Italy in the semis, Suárez said the team’s run to the championship was “a dream come true.”
“I never thought in my life that I’d get to represent my country and do it in front of this crowd here in Miami. …I feel so happy for how special God has been to me,” he told MLB Network. “This is beautiful. You have to glorify Jesus’ name and do all my best on the field so (the fans) can feel proud of us.”
Throughout the tournament, Suárez regularly served as the team’s spiritual leader. He would lead the team in prayer in the locker room before games, and following Tuesday’s championship victory, he led his teammates in prayer on the field amid the celebration.
That Suárez came up clutch in the game is no surprise. In Game 5 of the 2025 American League Championship Series, he hit a go-ahead grand slam to give the Seattle Mariners a 3-2 series lead, though they eventually lost in seven games to the Toronto Blue Jays. At the time, he said it was the biggest home run of his career.
“I glorify God because He gives me the power,” Suárez said after that game. “I locked in and just tried to drive one. God is good.”
Now entering his 13th major league season, he is back with the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he’s spent the majority of his career (2015-2021). Last season, as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks (before his July 31 trade to Seattle), he surpassed the 300 career home run mark, making him the 12th active player and third Veneuzuelan-born player to reach the milestone.
He gave a short speech in the clubhouse after reaching the 300 mark and gave glory to God in doing so.
“This game is awesome,” he said. “It’s given me a lot, and I appreciate all of you guys for being part of this. … Thank you very much, and thank you for being part of this day. And this home run was for God.”
“I’ve got to glorify God because He’s the only one,” Suárez told the media after his 300th homer. “Jesus Christ put me in this situation right now, and I feel so good right now. I feel so happy.”
He’s been selected to two All-Star Games (2018, 2025), delivered big playoff moments, and now can add a World Baseball Classic championship to his list of accomplishments. Through it all, serving the Lord remains his primary focus.
“It’s a gift. From that, one treats life like there is more to it than baseball,” Suárez told the Arizona Republic in Spanish last year. “I look for happy moments and think the best about people. It’s the Word of God and I am here to serve God. It’s something that is always with me and I hope it never changes.”
