It’s rare that you see a busy college athlete using social media for something other than scrolling for hours, but for four Campbellsville University Junior Varsity baseball players, making a difference on Instagram is a top priority on their list.
“Not only are we hoping to help other people, but this helps us as well,” said Connor Willis, a freshman and member of “Stitched in Faith.” “We keep each other accountable, and we have to do what we encourage to our followers.”
“Stitched in Faith” is an Instagram account created by multiple JV baseball players who want to grow in their faith.
“With every stitch of a baseball is also a stich of our life connecting, trying to reach a perfect baseball circle,” Willis said.
Willis’s role with the Instagram account is simple. He chooses something that has happened in his life or a good lesson that he wants people to know about, he sets up his phone, hits record and posts his devotion for the day.
He said his faith was encouraged by his teammates on and off the field.
“My love for faith and baseball was created by teammates inviting me to their church, praying before games and putting Bible Verses on equipment to keep me motivated during the games,” Willis said. “When we got to CU, there were a bunch of players that connected pretty quickly through Christ.”
Willis encourages all his followers to keep one word in mind: “Hope.”
“In the world today obviously, there is so much hate and there is only one person who can give us hope and that is Jesus Christ,” he said.
Tate McLean, another freshman and “Stitched in Faith” member, said this Instagram page isn’t about the videos they post but about the community he’s gained.
“Stitched to me personally is not for the videos we post, but the realization that I have a community of brothers and a great opportunity to spread the gospel,” he said. “In my eyes, there is nothing greater I can do in life than that right now.”
McLean said the opportunity to play at CU changed his life. Not only has he built a community on Christ with fellow athletes, but he’s blessed to spread the gospel via social media. Like most athletes, McLean has a full plate on top of posting on social media.
“The way I balance baseball, extracurriculars and my faith is simply breathing and taking it step by step,” he said. “Worry about what I can control and work hard and keep my priorities my priorities.”
Above all, McLean said his favorite thing about “Stitched in Faith” is getting to talk about the group of four friends who started it all.
“This Instagram has made a difference in our little college community,” he said. “I love when I get to talk about us as a group.”
Markell Yates, a freshman at CU, is the founder of “Stitched in Faith.” Yates started the Instagram after realizing he was putting his priorities in the wrong place.
“We were playing a lot of baseball in the fall, and I started to see myself start to focus on baseball more than my faith,” said Yates. “We thought of this as a fun way to keep us focused on faith while remembering we are also athletes.”
Yates said the account has gotten views and reach all over campus, even with coaches and other players.
“I’ve had older guys come to me and say they have enjoyed watching and learning from our videos. Our coaches also watch the videos,” he said. “So, it just shows people that you truly can multitask and make disciples.”
Yates said that the Instagram account is not to get Instagram famous, but for all the boys to get comfortable talking about God publicly. The members of the account send their video devotions to Yates in a group chat they created, then Yates edits and uploads the videos. They keep a consistent posting schedule of one to two times a week.
Yates hope for the future of “Stitched in Faith” is to reach others like him, telling his audience that everyone struggles with sin.
“I hope people look at ‘Stitched in Faith’ as a way to learn from someone who is just like them and is in an everyday battle with sin,” he said.
You can find “Stitched in Faith” on Instagram @stitched_infaith.
