Hot dogs and peanuts are a common sight at baseball games, but at a recent game in Nashville, fans got something unexpected: a baptism. After Saturday’s game between the Nashville Sounds and Memphis Redbirds, a portable baptistery was brought onto the field and Nashville’s Brewer Hicklen baptized teammate Wes Clark as players and fans cheered.
Clark posted photos from the event on Instagram.
“After last night’s game I had the honor of being baptized on the field by my good friend @brewerhicklen,” Clark wrote. “Thank you Jesus for this amazing moment in my life. I am incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so many supporters. What a special night!”
The Sounds are a Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Redbirds are also a Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Nashville won the game 4-1.
Both players wore shorts with the words “Jesus Won” written on them during the baptism ceremony.
Hicklen said. Sports Spectrum He participates in the team’s Bible study group, which focuses on Ephesians and what it means to be a Christian man. Sports Spectrum reported that Hicklen had wanted the baptism to take place after the team’s faith and family night, but Sounds officials said they did not have enough time to organize a post-game baptism. Hicklen then asked if the baptism could be held after a future game, to which Sounds officials responded that it would be possible.
“So we got a horse water trough and pumped water in from the arena,” Hicklen told Sports Spectrum. “I think we kept about half the stadium. It was a lot of fun.”
Clark and Vinny Capra were originally scheduled to attend the baptism, but Capra was called up by the Brewers three days before the game.
It was a memorable night for Hicklen, who also hit a home run that helped his team win the game. Hicklen said the home plate umpire praised him.
“We had a team meeting before the game and I said, ‘Hey guys, you may or may not be Christians. You may support what we’re doing, but “Maybe not, but I think it would be really cool if everybody came out to cheer Wes on as a teammate,” Hicklen told Sports Spectrum. “Everybody was like, ‘Yeah, we’re all gonna cheer you on,’ so they all stayed, which was really cool,” Hicklen told Sports Spectrum. “Even a couple of guys from the other team stayed.”
Photo credit: ©Instagram/Wes Clark
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
