Sports stats

IL Louisville Bats

Louisville Bats Celebrate Active and Former Service Members on Military Appreciation Day

July 25, 2023 - International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release


The Louisville Bats celebrated their annual Military Appreciation Night on Sunday, July 23, which included hosting a special Army Swear-In ceremony of future soldiers led by Brigadier General Cushing out of Ft. Knox, a flyover from the Kentucky Air National Guard, active serve members throwing out the first pitch and more in front of nearly 8,500 fans.

Military Appreciation Day is something that is routine for the Bats at this point and one of the most looked forward to games of the year as the club has hosted the event for more than 30 years.

"Dating back to the late 1980s the Louisville Bats baseball franchise has dedicated a game each season to honor those who have served in those who are currently serving the branch of Armed Forces," Louisville Bats President Greg Galiette said.

"The franchise thinks it's important not only as a team but as a community that we take time out and gather each season and tip our caps to those people who protect our freedom each day," he added.

Bats Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service David Barry echoed Galiette on the importance of the recognition.

"We're happy to be able to provide this game for all the Armed Forces units in the Kentuckiana area and their families. It also gives us a chance to invite veterans and their families so we can honor and recognize anyone who has served our country," Barry said.

Among the active and former service members were Captain John Ayers, Major Sergeant Armond Evanscott and Hamadi Diap, each active Army service members with their own unique backstory paths that found them serving their country.

Capt. Ayers and Diap are both now Army recruiters and first joined the service with intentions of making their lives and others better.

"I've always been the kind of person that's always looking for the next awesome adventure and experience, and that's what the Army provided. ... There was also the opportunity to serve and make my life bigger than myself. Doing something that mattered to more than just me was a big part of that decision," Capt. Ayers said.

Diap, who was born in Mauritania, a country in West Africa, has been in the United States since 2000 and has been enlisted for six years.

"I want to change the lives of as many as possible and hopefully once I've left the Army, I left my mark and I'm able to take everything I've learned and apply it in the civilian world," Diap said.

For Major Sergeant Evanscott, the Army provided a way to both serve his country and better his life for his family.

"I initially started in the Army Reserve because I wanted that ability to serve my country while going to college and getting that education. I come from a small town in South Carolina, not from a wealthy family, so there was that financial struggle prior to joining the Army," MSgt. Evanscott said.

"I have a family now. I didn't join the Army with one. I have a wife and two kids, so the Army has allowed the ability for my wife to go to school and become a licensed cosmetologist," he added.

Capt. Ayers said problem solving is one of the best skills he's been able to develop since joining the Army in 2019.

"I met my platoon sergeant (Sgt. First Class Ethan Wade), and he really pulled me in and made sure that I knew that we were striving as a team to develop our soldiers as best as we could and to be the best people and team that we could to make sure that we were getting every job done," Capt. Ayers said.

For both Diap and MSgt. Evanscott, the Army has created extended families and friendships through serving the country with one another.

"I feel like wherever you go in the military, everyone is family. I came here from Germany, coming into a new station, new people - people I had never met a day in my life - but the day I came into the office, they just took me under their wing, showed me the ropes," Diap said. "Wherever you go, it's like you're not an outsider, you've been family. The uniform brings you together."

MSgt. Evanscott reverberated Diap's point of community.

"It's unlike anything else I've seen - that bond. Not only service members with other service members, but families as well," MSgt. Evanscott said. "You would think just by the interactions, these people have known each other 10-plus years, even though it's only been six months. It's that bond between serve member and also families, just bringing people together in that close-knit community."

While every service member gets tangible skill sets and tools from serving, Diap's time in the military has given him something even more.

"I would say freedom (is the biggest impact on my life). I say freedom because I didn't have citizenship before I joined the Army, I was a green card holder. So coming to the Army and getting my citizenship gave me freedom," Diap said.

Check out the Louisville Bats Statistics



International League Stories from July 25, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Louisville Bats Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central