Welcome Back To The Bluff: Alumni Baseball Game

Homecoming, where all alumni come home to have a great time and enjoy the festivities of being back on campus. Homecoming at Southern is about being with your people, being in an environment that accepts you, and being safe while doing so. It is the feeling of a cookout at a family reunion, and everyone is in attendance. Homecoming is the atmosphere every year that many cannot wait for all year. Being back on campus for all alumni brings back memories and good times. Those good times and memories continue annually whenever the alumni come back. The festivities are looked at as the most entertaining and amusing part of homecoming. Sporting events, in particular, are one of the most prestigious events to attend on campus annually. One of the more exciting games to go to is a baseball game. That was the case this Friday at the infamous Lee Hines Field, hosting the classic Alumni Baseball Game. It was a perfect day for a game, and on the field were a lot of alumni fellowshipping with the coaches and the players. Southern University baseball teams are known for having historic teams and memorable games. Therefore, when you bring alumni and current players together, it is essentially more of the same. The game kicked off and was a competitive game from the opening pitch. The alumni were trash-talking the current players, and it was amazing to see the camaraderie between the two sides of the opposition. There were also former coaches and team managers there. I got to speak with a former coach and a former Southern University baseball player, Miles Potier. Talking to Coach Potier was a fascinating time as he began telling me about the history of the Alumni game and what it brings to the table at homecoming. It was the firsthand point of view of a former coach, player, and man who has been around the game for a long time. Potier commented on the game and what it meant to him and the University. “A game like this is amazing because of the camaraderie, seeing guys that I have not seen in a long time. It was also good to see these guys because most of them I have coached, a couple of guys I played with, and seeing them come back and keep that interest back in baseball but more importantly, keep that fellowship and friendship like we did in the past, it’s a great thing for Southern University”. Miles Potier, Southern University pitcher from (1969-1973), first team All-Louisiana in 1972, First Team All-SWAC, and a 2000 inductee of the Southern University Hall of Fame, spoke well on what it means to not only being a team but also being a community when homecoming comes around. Southern University’s baseball team got a chance to play the older alumni and had a fun time doing it. The Southern University baseball team will be hosting more events in the upcoming future.