After this years College World Series, the whole nation now knows what a Chanticleer is. The DH for Coastal Carolina, G.K. Young, is much to thank for this. Young hit a home run in the winner-take-all game 3 of the College World Series Championship to put the Chants up 4-0 at the time. It would prove to be enough to take home Coastal’s first National Championship in any sport in the schools history as they would go on to win 4-3 over the University of Arizona.
Coastal Carolina University is located in the town of Conway, SC; just a short drive away from the vacation hotspot Myrtle Beach. G.K. Young was raised in Conway and graduated my alma mater, Conway High School (C/O 2010), back in 2013. His dream growing up was to play for the “Real Teal” and lead them to Omaha. Going into the Super Regionals of the College Baseball playoffs, CCU was 0-5 in Super Regional games. They went on to sweep LSU in Baton Rouge and booked their first trip to Omaha in school history. It’s the feel good story of the year. But there’s more to the story for Young then most people know.
For the hometown hero, G.K. Young, baseball has been his whole life. “I’ve been through a lot with baseball. There’s been my ups and certainly been my downs, but no matter what my mom and daddy have pushed me to be the best I can be.” (Quote from article found at wpde.com) The family stated that they had never been on a family vacation because every summer they were traveling with G.K. for baseball and supporting him. They were happy to do so, because they knew how much it meant to him and loved seeing him excel at what he loves to do. His parents were quoted as saying that the most rewarding part of his success is the platform he has to teach people about his faith.
On Sunday, July 3, 2016, G.K. shared his story at Grand Strand Baptist Church where his grandfather is the pastor. It was a very emotional and real moment for Young. When talking about the home run he hit in Game 3 he said, “He threw me a curve ball, and I’m watching that go and I don’t know if I’ve ever hit a ball like that in my life.” The tears began to flow. It was a dream come true. To hit what would be the winning home run in the Championship game at the school you dreamed of playing for. But these tears came from a much deeper place of emotion.
When G.K. was born, the doctors had to break his right arm to deliver him and when he came out he wasn’t breathing. Young survived but the doctors told his father then that G.K. would never be able to use his right arm. “You’ll never use this right arm,” Young stated as he told the congregation at GSBC what the doctors told his family. He then paused for a second, and held up the home run ball he hit and said, “I can use my arm.” The crowd roared with applause. Later on in an interview he said, “I’ve never thought of giving up. That’s never been a question in my mind. It was always, I’m going to make it or I’m going to die trying to do it.”
The thrill of this moment may never pass for G.K. or the rest of the CCU Baseball team. But it will always mean a little more for the hometown kid with a dream to play in that teal uniform. “…I think it’s all just a map that God wrote out for us.”
G.K. will not be returning for his senior year at CCU. Instead he has signed a contract with the San Diego Padres organization and will look to continue his amazing story in the MLB and continue to give God the glory in all that he does.
To see full story go to wpde.com
To see G.K. full testimony video go to youtube.com
