Birmingham-Southern Panthers advance to DIII College World Series after players catch food poisoning (2024)

FRIDAY IN EASTLAKE, OHIO. JARVIS AND GLADYS BACK TO YOU, JULIAN. THANKS. AND WHILE THE DAY MAY BE ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE FOR THE PANTHERS, THIS WAS A HARD FOUGHT VICTORY. IT SURELY WAS. WVTM 13 S AARON LEWELLEN CAUGHT UP WITH THE TEAM THIS AFTERNOON. AARON, I UNDERSTAND MANY OF THE PLAYERS HAD FOOD POISONING WHILE COMPETING. YEAH. GLADYS JARVIS. THE LAST TIME WE CHECKED, NEARLY 15 PLAYERS ON THE PANTHERS BASEBALL TEAM CAUGHT FOOD POISONING AT A TEAM DINNER LAST NIGHT. AND THEY SAY THE PANTHERS ARE USED TO OVERCOMING ADVERSITY. AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER HURDLE THAT THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE TO OVERCOME TO GET TO THAT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. AND A RUN OUT IN FRONT OF THE PLATE. HONESTLY, JUST GAVE US MORE OF A FIRE TO WIN THE BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN PANTHERS OVERCOMING ADVERSITY AGAIN, I KIND OF BRUSHED IT OFF INITIALLY THINKING, OH, IT’S NOT, NOT THAT BAD. MAYBE THEY, YOU KNOW, THREW UP ONE TIME. UH, BUT OUR GUYS LITERALLY STARTED TO FALL OUT THE DUGOUT. UM, THIRD BASEMAN COULDN’T GO, UH, MY BEST RELIEVER WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL FROM THE DUGOUT. HEAD COACH JAN WEISBERG SAYS MANY OF THE PLAYERS WOKE UP WITH FOOD POISONING AFTER EATING AT THE HOTEL FRIDAY NIGHT. ANDREW DUTTON IS A SECOND BASEMAN. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO THROW UP AFTER THE GAME, BUT THE GUYS THAT WEREN’T PLAYING WERE GETTING IVS IN BETWEEN INNINGS AND, UM, IT WAS IT WAS INTERESTING. I’VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE. IT WAS HOT OUT ON THE TURF FOR SURE. I DID NOT EXPECT IT TO BE THIS HOT UP IN OHIO. THE PANTHERS DIDN’T HAVE THE BEST START TO THEIR LAST SEASON, BUT THEIR STORY ISN’T FINISHED. JUST YET. IT WAS JUST ANOTHER REASON WHY I THINK YOU KNOW, UH, OUR GUYS HAD EVERY REASON TO GO. I GUESS IT’S JUST NOT MEANT TO BE, UH, JUST LIKE WITH THE SCHOOL CLOSING AND ALL THAT. BUT THEY PRESSED ON WHAT THIS GROUP OF GUYS ACCOMPLISHED ON THE DIAMOND IS A TESTAMENT TO THEIR DETERMINATION AND STRENGTH. THE LAST BASEBALL TEAM TO EVER REPRESENT BSC. THERE’S A LOT OF GUYS JUST IN BED THAT ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY’RE WATER, THEY’RE IN BED. UH, A LOT OF THEM GOT PRESCRIPTIONS, UH, JUST FOR THE DEHYDRATION. THE NAUSEA. AND IT’S AN EXPERIENCE THEY’LL REMEMBER FOR YEARS TO COME. THAT’S THE BALL GAME. WE RELIED ON EACH OTHER, AND, UH, WE GOT EACH OTHER THROUGH IT. AND I MEAN, COACH SAID IN OUR MEETING 30 MINUTES AGO, IT’S IT’S NOT THAT WE’RE PLAYING FOR THE SCHOOL ANYMORE SINCE THERE’S THERE’S NOT A SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, WE’RE WE’RE PLAYING FOR EACH OTHER. NOW, THE TEAM WILL HEAD BACK TO THE HILLTOP FROM OHIO TOMORROW, AND THEY HAVE AN EIGHT HOUR DRIVE AHEAD OF THEM. AND THE COACH SAYS THAT THEY’RE ONLY MAKING TWO STOPS. SO WITH THOSE FOOD POISONING SYMPTOMS, HOPEFULLY THE TEAM WILL BE ABLE TO HOLD IT TOGETHER UNTIL THEY GET BACK HERE TO BIRMINGHAM. AND WHEN THEY GET BACK HERE, THEY WILL BE GEARING UP FOR THEIR NEXT GAME ON FRIDAY, WHICH IS THE SAME DAY THAT THE COLLEGE IS SET TO CLOSE ITS DOORS LIVE