By John Davis
Community Relations Director
Jeremy Massie has been involved and attached to the sport of baseball for as long as his hand could pick up a ball. His love for the game continued to grow at a young age, on the park and rec fields of Sardis, and Senatobia. Baseball led Massie to play for Northwest Mississippi Community College, and ultimately, the Ole Miss Rebels where he pitched for two seasons, including the 2014 campaign that finished at the College World Series.
Once he was done with college, the love of baseball didn’t leave. He pursued a career in coaching and was most recently at Rhodes College in Memphis. Massie’s passion for baseball, mixed with his love of Ole Miss, ultimately brought him back to Oxford. He will now serve the community as the Oxford Park Commission’s athletic manager in charge of baseball and volleyball.
“This role is a great way to help grow the game and also give back to Oxford at the same time,” Massie said. “I was looking to find something closer to Oxford. I was married in December to Maggie Dean, and this was a great opportunity.”
The importance of playing rec ball was pivotal for Massie. He enhanced his skills as a youth pitcher, and then played in All-Star events before eventually moving on to travel ball. The things he likes most about baseball? Playing on the field with family and friends in the stands there to watch and support.
“The clapping and the cheers throughout the game. I also like the things baseball teaches you. It’s a game of failure,” Massie said. “It’s good to be reminded that I can fail 7 out of 10 times and still get into the ‘Hall of Fame.’ It teaches that I keep working hard, it will pay off. I grew up under the motto that hard work pays off. I wanted to play college baseball, and so I worked hard, and it paid off.”
The OPC baseball season will begin in just over 2 months, while registration for the 2022 spring season is going on through February 20th. Massie is excited to be in charge of the program, and he his plan is to stress teamwork.
“It’s about working together as one to accomplish the same goals,” Massie said. “That’s in just about everything we all do. Learning from failure, learning more from failures, taking it one pitch at a time and chipping away at it slowly.”
Golf has been a sport Massie has learned about through failure. He joked that he spends most of his time searching for his ball on the course when he is able to break away from work and play. He has hopes to get out and watch the Rebels play now that he is closer, but he did say that he will miss not being with his Rhodes players every day.
“I would like to get out and watch them both but for sure I will be able to stream them online,” Massie said.