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GRANVILLE, Ohio (KTRK) — Birmingham Southern College, a 168-year-old private liberal arts institution, is closing permanently on May 31 due to financial difficulties.
Despite the college’s impending closure, the Birmingham Southern Panthers baseball team will begin play in the Division III World Series on the same day. The Panthers secured their spot in the World Series by winning their fifth straight game on Saturday, representing a school that will no longer operate.
Justin Fox, a pitcher from Episcopal High School in Bellaire, missed this season due to a knee injury. Speaking via Zoom with, Fox described the emotional roller coaster of recent months.
“One of the craziest experiences I’ve ever been a part of – without a doubt,” Fox said. “It’s a horrible feeling to lose something you really wanted. We wondered if this was it for BSC baseball. For us to keep going, it feels amazing – like a breath of fresh air in this time.”
Fox received his degree in finance on Friday and joined the team in Ohio on Saturday. He plans to travel with the Panthers to the World Series before returning home to Houston to continue rehabbing his knee and deciding whether to attend graduate school or start working.