Samford baseball hosts annual Halloween game

Halloween came early to Joe Lee Griffin Field on Thursday, Oct. 29, as players traded their traditional uniforms for costumes during the program’s annual Halloween scrimmage, welcoming families and fans for a night of baseball, laughter and community engagement.

After last year’s event was canceled due to rain, the Bulldogs returned to the field for one of the tradition’s largest turnouts, bringing together kids, baseball campers, parents and fans to celebrate the Halloween season.

Samford head baseball coach Tony David expressed his excitement over the community’s support, describing the turnout as one of the best in the event’s history.

“It’s just incredible. When this thing was born a long time ago, it was initially to give back to our campers, you know, who are so loyal to us, and the community as well,” David said.

The tradition, which began more than a decade ago, has become an opportunity for the baseball program to strengthen its relationship with the Birmingham community while introducing younger fans to Samford athletics.

This year’s festivities featured players dressed in creative costumes, including a referee, heroes like Thor and Wolverine and even everyone’s favorite minions from “Despicable Me,” bringing entertainment and fun to the team’s fall baseball activities.

David praised his players for embracing the event while still putting on a performance for the crowd.

“They did a good job of playing and also not putting themselves in harm’s way in their sometimes silly costumes,” David said. “So, they did a good job there. And after the fact with the kids, I think they interacted with them well.”

For senior catcher Cade Carr, the celebration was about more than the costumes and baseball. It was an opportunity to create lasting connections with the program’s youngest supporters.

“I thought it was great. It’s great to see the little kids coming and watching us play. Hopefully they’ll show up in the spring,” Carr said.

Carr emphasized the importance of events like the Halloween scrimmage in encouraging families to return for future games and summer baseball camps.

“We get to see them in the summer during the camps too,” Carr said.

John Malone, who participated in the Halloween tradition for the third time during his four years at Samford, shared similar excitement about the event’s return after last year’s cancellation.

“It was a lot of fun. We had a good turnout, a lot of good kids here, had fun with them, just overall a great event,” Malone said.

While the Bulldogs enjoyed the opportunity to interact with their youngest supporters, the families in attendance shared that same excitement. For some families, the Halloween celebration was their first opportunity to experience the annual tradition.

One parent, whose children previously attended Samford’s summer baseball camp, explained how excited they were to return to the field and reconnect with the program.

“They did baseball camp here back in the summer, and when they found out it was going to be back here, they were pumped to be able to come back and see the players, and see them in action,” the father said.

Beyond watching the Bulldogs play, families and returning campers enjoyed the opportunity to step onto the field, collect autographs and interact with the players following the event.

Families and kids weren’t the only ones experiencing this event for the first time, new players also took this opportunity to fully immerse themselves into Samford tradition.

Diego Gonzales, who dressed as a referee while playing catcher, enjoyed participating in the tradition for the first time.

“I’m feeling really good, I mean, we had a really good turnout. We got to put on a good show for the fans and the kids,” Gonzales said.

Team manager Brayden Urban, another first-time participant, was equally impressed by the turnout and the enthusiasm of the young fans.

“I didn’t expect this to go this long, but we got kids running those bases and that is actually kind of crazy,” Urban said.

As the Bulldogs look ahead to their spring season, the Halloween celebration served as a reminder that Samford baseball’s impact extends beyond the field.

With costumes, candy, community and a packed crowd of young fans, Samford Baseball gave families another reason to return to Joe Lee Griffin Field when baseball season begins this spring.