Skip to main content

Home Run for Mustard Seed 2013 Returns to Trustmark Park


Seedsters Will Terry, Benny Baxter, Stuart Tirey and Thomas McElroy of Gov. Phil Bryant's Phillies, Del Harrington, community relations director with Mustard Seed, and Home Run for Mustard Seed organizer Andy Kanengiser, Mississippi College university news coordinator, are pictured at Trustmark Park. Home Run for Mustard Seed will be August 7th at 5 p.m.

The Media Giants will seek to even their softball series with Gov. Phil Bryant’s Phillies as the 2013 Home Run for Habitat returns to Trustmark Park on August 7th.

The contest kicks off a doubleheader as the Mississippi Braves face the Jackson Generals at 7 p.m. that Wednesday evening. Central Mississippi media people, public relations professionals and others battle Phil’s Phillies starting at 5 p.m. in a rematch of their 2012 game.

There are plenty of Mississippi College connections to this sporting event to promote a good cause.

With Governor Bryant, a Mississippi College graduate and former political science instructor, serving as the team’s manager, Phil’s Phillies defeated the Media Giants 12-5 last August. Home Run for Mustard Seed is designed to raise funds and spotlight the Rankin County-based non-profit serving special needs adults. Mustard Seed headquarters off Luckney Road in the Brandon-Flowood area includes a gift shop.

Fans attending both games will pay the same ticket prices they do at M-Braves games. The softball contest is an added attraction at the Southern League ballpark in Pearl.

Livingston Harper, a special needs student at Mississippi State University, and son of Third District U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper, and his wife, Sidney, will toss the ceremonial first pitch at the M-Braves game. The Harpers are both Mississippi College graduates. The newest “Beacon” alumni magazine at the Christian university showcased the congressman’s efforts to help people with intellectual disabilities, including his life-changing internship program on Capitol Hill. The congressman from Pearl is an active Mustard Seed supporter.

Media Giants team players will include Jackson WAPT-16 weekend anchor Scott Simmons, longtime radio newsman Randy Bell, Tony Bahou, communications director for Mississippi Blood Services, and Mississippi College graduate Mark Jones of Clinton, public relations chief for the Salvation Army in the region.

The softball series began in 2005 when the Media Giants played Gov. Haley Barbour’s Bombers at Trustmark Park in the Home Run for Habitat. A few years later, the event became Batter Up for Stewpot. Last year, marked the initial Home Run for Mustard Seed. So far, the governor’s team has dominated the series. The Media Giants won one contest, a dramatic last-inning 12-10 triumph in 2006.

“Home Run for Mustard Seed is a fun game for a terrific cause, and I’m hoping tons of fans make the trip to Trustmark Park,” says Andy Kanengiser, the event organizer and university news coordinator at Mississippi College. “We appreciate the support from General Manager Steve DeSalvo and the entire Mississippi Braves organization,” says Kanengiser, a Media Giants player from Pearl. “This promises to be another family-friendly event at this fabulous ballpark in Pearl.”

During both games, fans can purchase tickets to win prizes at a raffle to benefit Mustard Seed. Derrel Palmer, who broadcasts Pearl Pirates football games for the Pirates media network, will make his debut as the softball game announcer.

For more information, contact Del Harrington at Mustard Seed at 601.992.3556 or Andy Kanengiser at kanengis@mc.edu or 601.925.7760.