On Saturday, Oct. 5, a host of past Goshen College athletes found themselves once again playing on home soil, taking part in the alumni matches that were a part of the Homecoming weekend activities. 

The baseball, softball and women’s basketball teams got together to take part in relaxed scrimmages against their coaches, former GC athletes and teammates. 

During the baseball match, Coach Brad Stoltzfus said, “Anytime you get a chance to come out on the field and actually play, it’s super fun.” While Stoltzfus enjoyed the opportunity to get out on the field and play against his team, he also took this chance to educate and motivate his current players. 

“I try to tell the guys like, the jumps we are capable of making is what excites me every single time we take the field, whether it be for practice or a game,” pointing to when Stoltzfus was a student athlete himself as proof. “2015 to 2018, we saw this progression from that first year of winning nine games, and then two years later, winning 26 games.” 

The alumni game, which was won by alumni 9-4, was a good opportunity for older and younger generations alike to get back out on the field. 

Peyton Smith ’24 said, “It’s fun, all my friends are here … you miss it when you’re done, so you know, any opportunity you get to come back and play is awesome.” 

 Kent Blossom ’99 echoed Smith’s sentiments, saying, “It’s a crazy feeling, it’s been 25 years, but it’s the same setting, same field, but it’s a slightly different experience because you’re older and less agile.” 

Talking about his experience at the match, Blossom continued, “but to see the excitement of these guys and this program is pretty thrilling for me.”

The softball match also saw the current and former athletes enjoying themselves in a light-hearted scrimmage that finished 14-6 in favor of the alumni team. 

Kelsey Morris Wooten ’13 spoke on her experience, playing  on the field again. “It’s surreal to put a GC shirt back on, and it was just neat to meet girls that played before me and played after me … it was neat to just see old friends and be back on the field.” 

Morris Wooten also reflected on her time as a student at GC, separate from her athletics. “I was downtown for First Fridays, which was one of my favorite events when I was actually here in Goshen.” 

She also decided to get involved with the communications department while she was back, saying, “I worked for the radio station when I was in school, so I’ll be doing stuff at the radio station with Jason [Samuel], but it’s just really nice to catch up with people that you haven’t seen.”

The women’s basketball match that took place was a hard fought battle, with Goshen’s current team eventually taking the win, 42-41. 

Winning against these alumni was no small feat for the current athletes, as Sophie Sears ’17 said, “Yeah we were all in the national run team.” 

Sears also reflected on her game experience, saying, “I love basketball, and don’t really get to play anymore, but it’s fun just to get out there for a bit and see what the team’s doing now.”

The alumni matches all had good crowd turnouts with a mix of older and newer generations, brought together by a love for sports and a passion for their alma mater.