One of the cool things about the 2025 season is that I am on two different Saints teams- The Illinois softball team and the new Federal Team. One of the drawbacks is that there will occasionally be some scheduling conflicts. The Federal Team was in Texas the same time our Illinois team was at Taylorville CC.
I made the trip to Texas but, my son Joe Gibson was at Taylorville. I sat down with Joe to get some of his thoughts about the visit. Instead of writing a big long article about the visit, we decided to do a Q and A version of how the day went.
Warm Up Questions
Favorite Superhero: Captain America
Favorite Baseball Player Growing Up: Anthony Rizzo
Favorite Memories of Playing Baseball Growing Up: Hitting an inside the park home run on Diamond #1 at the Christian Center.
Favorite Memory of going to an MLB Game: Sitting in a luxury suite at Wrigley Field (Jake Arrieta was pitching that day!)
Favorite Pizza: Pizza Hut-Stuffed Crust- Pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms
Who is Dad's Favorite Son?: The cat
What are Your Plans this Fall?: I am attending Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, IA. I will be going for a one year certificate in Biblical Worldview.
Favorite Video Game: Minecraft
Favorite Baseball Video Game: Mario Baseball
Baseball Player You Want to Meet Someday: Tim Dillard
First Saints Crusade Questions
Where was Your First Saints Trip?: FCI Safford in Arizona. It was hot that day! I got a hit in my first at bat. I scored later that inning but I tripped over my shoes while crossing home plate and I slid in awkwardly.
We Spend an Evening in Tombstone Before that Visit. What was your Favorite Memory?: Enjoying the history and atmosphere of the town. Seeing the reenactment and watching my teammates get involved with the show was hilarious!
What was the Most Impactful Conversation you had on that Trip?: My dad and I had a few minutes to talk to the prison drummer. My dad got to play drums with him and had a really good conversation about the Gospel afterwards.
What was your favorite food on the trip?: We went to a place called Flaps and Racks. I got to eat some wings and ribs and talk softball with Rodney Stewart and Warren Miller.
What was the Funniest Moment on the Trip?: Jim Jefferson got a local Dairy Queen to sing Happy Birthday to me. The trip was in October...my birthday is in March... JJ and I also spent time quoting the Matt Foley SNL sketch!
Taylorville Questions
How did the trip to Taylorville Go?: We had to take separate vehicles because the van wasn't available. I got to ride with some of the other younger guys and we got to have some really good conversations about life and our churches.
How did the Softball Games Go?: We played one game in the morning and lost. We played and won a game in the afternoon and we were winning our third game before an inmate got injured and they had to call the game. James Mast hit really well for us. The Taylorville team had a player named Scooter who was their MVP. He hit really well but he was also really fast!
Who shared their testimony?: Ray Koonce and James Mast.
Who shared the Gospel?: Kyle Krall and AJ Salmon. They both preached really good messages from the book of John. They both shared the Gospel with the men really clearly.
What did you have for lunch in the prison?: Breakfast pizza. It was better than school food but not quite as good as Casey's pizza.
What was rewarding about the day?: We got to share the Gospel twice and we handed out over 100 Gospels of John. At the end of the day we met behind the van to discuss the day and pray. Some of my teammates talked about some really good conversations they had and how they got to share the Gospel. This was rewarding for me and I'm really glad I get to be part of this!
I am proud of my son for stepping outside his comfort zone and serving the Lord this summer with our team!
Our next outing is 6/28 as we visit Robinson CC. Please keep the team in prayer as we share the Gospel and play some summertime softball!
