Thirteen Lee University baseball players and three coaches spent the majority of their Christmas Holiday break on a joint mission trip to the Dominican Republic with Jeff Siegel of Global Baseball. They were housed at the Score International Complex in Juan Dolio.

Head coach Matt Brew and assistants Craig Kleinmann and Aaron Simmons escorted Flames Joel Matthews, Zach Clark, Mitch Davidson, Phillip Johnson, Jeff Ibarra, Josh Dunn, Brian Landru, Max Harvell, Preston Scoggins, Jeremy Hutslar, Josh Wilson, Ben Wilson, Kyle Lymberopoulos to Santo Domingo, Juan Dolio, San Pedro de Macoris, Angelina, LaRomana, and Bayaguana over a seven-day period.

“We conducted two baseball clinics in San Pedro de Macoris with over 350 kids in attendance,” said Brew. “We visited an orphanage for girls and boys in LaRomana. It was one of the most satisfying experiences on the trip; just being able to interact and play with the kids. We attended a church in San Pedro de Macoris and were able to minister to approximately 1500 kids through games, clinics, and other ministry opportunities.”

The Lee coach said the seven days in the Dominican Republic was both a humbling and rewarding experience. “To be able to utilize baseball as a ministerial tool in a baseball-hungry nation was an awesome platform,” he noted. “The Dominican people were very receptive to our Christian faith and many made personal decisions to become Christians."

He confessed that his coaches and players were definitely in a situation where they were out of their comfort zone as Americans. “While God was utilizing us as a vehicle to minister to the local people, he was simultaneously challenging our players and coaches to be stronger in our faith. I honestly believe this experience will have a long-lasting effect. “We definitely plan on returning in the future."