MERRILLVILLE – During the second annual Collars vs. Scholars Classic, the script was flipped regarding the outcome of the contest while a sense of fun-in-the-sun and vocations promotion was reprised from the original outing.
Eight current seminarians (or scholars) from the Diocese of Gary joined nine priests (or collars) at Andrean High School’s softball diamond in Merrillville on June 27 for the spirited game. A crowd of local faithful filled the stands and Bishop Robert J. McClory, wearing his “5” jersey, led an invocation and an explanation of game rules modifications as only the fifth leader of Gary could.
Before the discerners and clergymen took the field, members of the diocesan vocations office and volunteers from the Serra Club prepared ballpark fare and set up materials for those discerning a religious calling or wishing to help direct someone to resources.
Longtime Serran and current outreach coordinator Agnes Zellers admired how the seminarians have grown in both faith and stature since some of them first came on board as discerners.
“We support vocations. Those seminarians out there are like our own children; we’ve watched some of them for eight years coming up,” said Zellers, who was rooting for the scholars. “Their hearts are full of love ... When they are ordained, it just tickles us.”
Father Nathaniel Edquist, vocations director and pastor of Holy Family in LaPorte, drew some clear lines between his boundless support of the seminarians and his strategic outlook to retain the event trophy, earned by his fellow priests’ 12-6 victory in 2024.
“We're looking to remind the seminarians of what happened last year,” explained Father Edquist. “(Then) we only had six priests, but this year we have nine. So, we’re fielding a whole team.”
Looking out beyond the outfield fence he said, “The wind is blowing out to left field – we’ll be sure to pull toward there.”
Recently ordained transitional Deacon William O’Donnell suited for the seminarians. Graduating to the ordained team were Father Ivan Alatorre and Father Alexander Kouris.
One of triplet brothers, Augustine Alatorre, tipped his hat to the seminarians, who notched five runs in the first inning, allowed the collars to tie the score in the second and, by the third inning, had swung to a 12-5 lead. “They’re doing a heck of a job against the collars.”
Augustine Alatorre, who was rooting for the collars, said, “Ivan and I never played baseball, but he did run cross country (in high school). He made one run so far.”
He added, “This (event) is something that helps them relax from their work.”
In the top of the third, a seven-run frame for the scholars, seminarian Ryan Pierce launched a grand slam as the seventh batter. A team captain and one-time college baseball aspirant, he had some advice for his teammates.
“I learned this thing from baseball. It’s called BASE2, it’s an acronym," Pierce explained. “The ‘B’ stands for big inning, which means to score three runs or more in one inning. ‘A’ is answer back – so, if the other team scores, you have to score at your next at-bat. ‘S’ is score first. ‘E’ is extend the lead and ‘2’ is score two outs.”
He continued, “I told (fellow seminarians) if you check all those off, you win the game pretty much every single time.”
The priests, not willing to raise the white flag, began to chip away at their competitors’ lead in late innings, though several fly balls were snagged short of the fence.
When the game wrapped after seven innings, the scholars were happy to have doubled the run total that their reverend rivals ran up on them last year. Game organizers were okay that the 24-13 final resembled a football rather than a softball score.
“I had suggested a few of the rules modifications to make it a more exciting game this year – and I think it turned out that way,” said Bishop McClory. “I like seeing games where you pitch to contact, so to have it be a swinging strikeout rather than called strikes, and no walks.”
The early summer tradition was an opportunity for the players to personify the classic rock anthem borrowed by baseball, “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
“I saw great sportsmanship. It was wonderful to see the seminarians come back after their defeat last year. There was a really good mood among those gathered here – a way that we have to celebrate vocations and living the Catholic Christian life,” said the bishop.
Second-year seminarian Patrick Cullars of St. Thomas More in Munster, said he had some reservations about the softball game last year. This time around he had more hits and notched two runs for his teammates.
Though he was unable to attend the recent “Chicago Celebrates Pope Leo XIV,” hosted by the White Sox, the pontiff’s interest in his hometown team brought the sport closer to the hearts of those who are not necessarily athletic.
“I didn’t really play sports as a kid," Cullars explained. “It was better than last year. I think this time I was more enthusiastic about it ... Oh yeah, it’s fun.”
Caption: A team of Diocese of Gary seminarians (front row), gather near Bishop Robert J. McClory (center) and diocesan priests (back row) after earning a victory over the ordained in the second annual Collars vs. Scholars Classic event hosted by the Office of Vocations at the Andrean High School softball diamond in Merrillville on June 27. In the event to promote vocations and summer fun, the discerners flipped the script from last year's game in which the priests doubled the seminarians’ score. (Anthony D. Alonzo photo)
