MSU Baseball And Softball Host Beautiful Lives Project

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State's baseball and softball teams hosted a Beautiful Lives Project event and co-founder Bryce Weiler Wednesday afternoon at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.

Beautiful Lives Project provides people with disabilities the opportunity to actively participate in activities and events that may not have been available to them previously due to physical or facility limitations.

Nearly 100 people participated in the event, with members of the Spartan baseball and softball teams going through different drills and activities, ranging from playing catch to running the bases, fielding, pitching and hitting.

"I think it's important for us to be involved in the community as much as we are able to. I think it's great for our guys to build new relationships away from the field, away from Michigan State," MSU baseball head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. "I think a lot of these kids that were here today really look up to our players and I think it's important that they understand the platform that they have as student-athletes, and the impact that they can make on somebody else because of that platform. When you see those people out here playing with our baseball and softball players, and both kids and adults walk out of here smiling ear to ear, I think that's what it's all about."

The impact of the event was meaningful for the student-athletes as well. MSU softball senior catcher Kendall Kates was at a station playing catch with the kids, and the event left a lasting impression on her.

"This experience was amazing," Kates said. "I think it says a lot about our team. I think we're really willing to do things like this."

"They taught us more today than we taught them."

Impactful experience today working with the Beautiful Lives Project.#GoGreen | #SpartansWill pic.twitter.com/PFMMvbOUTK
— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) September 21, 2022

After all the on-field activities were completed, everyone took a group photo, and then Weiler spoke to the Spartan baseball and softball teams.

After his speech, Weiler fielded some questions from the group, then played catch with new Spartan baseball director of player development and former World Series champion Adam Eaton.

Pretty cool moment after the event:

Bryce Weiler and Adam Eaton, MSU's new director of player development and 2019 World Series champion, played a game of catch. pic.twitter.com/kHxXaelFOz
— Ian Kress (@ian_kress) September 21, 2022

"Like Bryce said, the platform that we have is awesome to use, and I just think that it's a lot bigger than us; it's a global experience that we need to kind of just experience and get used to. I think it's good for us to get out of our comfort zone and to learn patience with the kids and the adults, and they've taught us more than I think we taught them today," Kates said. "When Coach Dunn asked about how we can help disabled people and blind people specifically, that stuck with me a lot because there's some fear I think that we have and not all of us know when to help, or how to ask for help, so I think that gave us some confidence in that aspect."

Spartan baseball senior outfielder Casey Mayes also took away a great deal from the day's event.

"I think it's just extremely special to have an impact on everybody's life that came through here today," Mayes said. "You get kids coming from all different backgrounds, a lot of them have different disabilities and you kind of get to see all of those in one setting and interact with a lot of kids in a very short amount of time. And it's really cool to learn that much that quick."

We had a great time today with @BryceWeiler and the Beautiful Lives Project!#GoGreen | #SpartansWill pic.twitter.com/rysLLHRMav
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) September 21, 2022

Mayes was also impressed and impacted from Weiler.

"It's incredible, just hearing him talk, talking about all of his experiences, everything that he's been able to accomplish in his life was just very motivating and very powerful, and just to experience it for one hour is just mind-blowing for all of us from both teams that were here today," Mayes said. "I've done Miracle League in the past, which is a similar concept, but today was great."

The event left a long-lasting impact on Mayes and his fellow baseball and softball student-athletes.

"Because I think it's a lot bigger than just sports," Mayes said. "It gives you an opportunity to be a good person outside of just playing a sport or just being a student-athlete. You get use your platform to do something for somebody else. I think that's really important."

Michigan State was the first collegiate baseball and softball programs in the country to have an Beautiful Lives Project event.

"I think it's pretty special to be the first collegiate teams to work with Bryce and with this event as far as baseball and softball," Boss said. "I know he's done a lot of things with pro baseball and other pro sports; he's a guy that's garnered national media attention. So really, this for him is really nothing new, but he's always looking for a foot in the door with other programs. He's trying to reach as many lives as he can and he's going to do that. He talked about making a difference in people's lives and about changing the world, and Bryce Weiler is the guy that's doing that."

For more information on the Beautiful Lives Project, visit www.beautifullives.org/.

Players Mentioned

Kendall Kates

Casey Mayes

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