BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Greg Larson was part of three trips to the Men’s College World Series, but the highlight of his experience as a college student occurred when he accepted Jesus Christ as his savior.
Larson, who pitched for the Florida Gators and spent two years playing pro ball, is now in the ministry, which brings him to First Baptist Church of Keystone Heights as the associate pastor of children and families. He and his wife, Amy, have been back in the U.S. for a couple of months after spending three years in Mexico as missionaries.
“We’re excited to see what the Lord is going to do,” Larson said.
The fact that the Lord took Larson on a journey toward ministry is something he never would’ve envisioned when he was younger.
“It wasn’t even on my radar,” he said.
Even when he came to know Christ as his savior, Larson wasn’t anticipating such an outcome. He looked at himself and didn’t see someone who had what it took to be a minister.
“I didn’t grow up in church,” Larson said. “I didn’t even know how many books were in the Bible.”
Larson said there’s a common phrase in ministry: “God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.” Larson became equipped through mentors, listening to sermons and reading the Bible on a consistent basis.
“Slowly by slowly, God began bringing resources into my life,” he said.
Pitching in college and in the Minors
Larson played at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs. The Patriots won the Class 6A state title his senior year (2008), but Larson played sparingly because of an injury, which made for a tough start as a Florida Gator. He just wasn’t physically ready.
“I ruptured a disk in my back,” Larson said. “It was an adjustment for me going into Florida my freshman year and competing with a lot of the top recruits in the country.”
In 2009, Larson appeared in 29 games (31.1 innings), starting one. He went 3-2 with a 3.45 ERA.
Larson went 3-1 his sophomore season, appearing in 25 games (36.1 innings), making two starts and compiling an ERA of 5.70. He then appeared in 33 games (38.2 innings) as a junior, going 1-1 with an ERA of 2.09. He recorded 31 strikeouts as a sophomore and 30 as a junior.
As a senior, Larson went 6-0 with two starts in a team-high 35 appearances (54.1 innings). He had an ERA of 1.33 and 38 strikeouts.
Larson is ranked second all-time in UF history for career appearances (122).
“Through perseverance and persistence, I was able to kind of mold myself into a productive contributor in the program,” Larson said.
One of his most memorable moments occurred in his sophomore season. The Gators were hosting a Super Regional against Miami. Florida had already taken the first game 7-2. The second game was tied 3-3 after nine innings. Florida scored a run in the top of the 10th. In the bottom of the inning, the Hurricanes had one out and a runner on second when Larson entered the game. He recorded a strikeout and then forced a ground out for the win and the Gators’ first trip to the College World Series in five years.
“As you may know, there’s always a dogpile when you go to Omaha,” Larson said. “That was pretty cool being on the bottom of that dogpile.”
That was the first of three consecutive trips to the World Series. The Gators made it to the championship series in Larson’s junior year, losing 2-1 and 5-2 to South Carolina.
Larson was drafted in the 29th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Angels his junior year, but decided to stay at UF. His senior year, he was selected in the 20th round by the Boston Red Sox.
“I just tried to work as hard as I could to become the best baseball player that I could become,” Larson said. “Four years of putting in the extra work and the extra effort really paid off.”
Larson pitched two years in the Minors. He was part of the Class A Lowell Spinners his first year and then played for the High-A Greenville Drive. He appeared in 33 total games as a reliever/closer.
Adjusting to a different type of atmosphere was difficult. Larson said he went from the world of high-level college ball where the mindset is to win at all costs to the Minors, where the focus is getting players ready to play in the Majors. He recalled how his team experienced a nine-game losing streak his first year as a pro player.
“The coaches weren’t upset,” Larson said. “They weren’t yelling at us. There really wasn’t a sense of urgency. They were more concerned with just the long-term development of the players rather than the wins and losses.”
Traveling was more comfortable at UF as opposed to 8-10-hour bus rides in the Minors. Larson said it’s tough being 6-7, 6-8 and being crammed on a bus with others who are well over 6 feet also.
“Looking back, it’s easy to take for granted how well the University of Florida and a lot of college programs take care of their athletes,” Larson said.
Still, playing pro ball was an experience he enjoyed.
“I was blessed to play for two years,” Larson said. “I really enjoyed my time.”
Heeding God’s call to the ministry
Larson became a Christian at UF through his involvement with the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action organizations. He was mentored by the campus director for Athletes in Action, who helped him grow in his faith.
“He helped me understand the Bible, what it means to be a Christian and the basics of following Christ,” Larson said.
During Larson’s senior year, that same person encouraged him to consider going into the ministry.
“At that time, I was not thinking about or praying about serving the Lord in vocational ministry,” Larson said. “I had plans of getting drafted and trying to play in the Major Leagues. I also thought about maybe getting a master’s in business administration or something like that down the road.”
Larson was asked to pray about it, which he did. He said the Lord began working on his heart over the next two years. He also took part in an internship with the Athletes in Action director between his first and second seasons of pro ball.
“It was through that four and a half months of my offseason that God really confirmed my calling into the ministry,” Larson said.
Larson suffered a minor arm injury halfway through his second professional season, which forced him to sit out for several weeks.
“God really just took the desire out of my heart to play baseball competitively,” he said. “I love baseball and like being around it, but through prayer and through seeking the Lord’s will, God just put it on my heart to step away.”
While he was still playing professionally, Larson began working toward a master’s degree in applied biblical studies online through Moody Bible Institute. He was still working toward that degree when he began his first ministerial position, which was with Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Seminole County at the end of 2013.
“God used my platform as a former athlete to share the love of Christ in the community I grew up in,” Larson said. “It was really cool to see God open those doors through my career as a baseball player.”
Larson was involved with a church plant in his home community as well, which led to the pastor of that church becoming a mentor for approximately two years.
In 2015, Larson started work toward a master’s degree in divinity. He attended a seminary in Orlando before transferring to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He took classes online and at the seminary’s physical campus in Louisville, Kentucky, earning his degree in December 2019.
Earning a master’s in divinity wasn’t the only highlight for Larson that year. He also got married. His wife has a degree in biblical counseling.
Establishing roots back in the U.S.
Larson and his wife served as missionaries in Mexico for three years. He admitted it was tough at first, adjusting to a different culture and having to learn the language, but the overall experience was a blessing.
“We got to teach and preach in Spanish,” Larson said. “Teaching and preaching is hard enough in itself, but it’s a whole different level doing it in another language. I think the blessing of being able to connect with people in their own language in a way that they can understand was really important and brought joy to our hearts.”
Larson also coached baseball at an academy once a week in Mexico.
“I got to do a devotional with the players each week,” he said.
The Larsons’ daughter, Chloe, who is 2, was born in Mexico. The couple has another daughter on the way, with a due date in December.
Larson said he and his wife were looking to return to the U.S. They just needed to figure out where to start establishing the roots for their family.
“As my wife and I were praying about and thinking about where we wanted to end up in our next phase, we wanted to serve in a local church,” Larson said.
Larson said he and Ryan Begue, the pastor at First Baptist of Keystone, have been friends for the past six or seven years. Begue reached out to him earlier this year about the church’s position of associate pastor of children and families.
“I know how important it is to have a good relationship with other people who you work with in ministry,” Larson said. “Ryan and I have always had a good working relationship.
“One thing led to another.”
What it ultimately led to was filling that position at the Keystone church. Larson’s first official day was Sept. 24.
When interviewed for this story on Oct. 4, Larson said he was still settling in, reading children’s ministry books and getting his office in order.
“I’m just trying to plan out and map out and seek the Lord’s will,” Larson said. “Just kind of learning the ropes around here for the time being.”
Larson said one of the things he looks forward to in his position is teaching children about God in what he described as a culture that is moving further and further away from biblical values.
“The younger generation — children in elementary school, middle school — are, I feel like, getting hit the hardest,” Larson said. I’m excited about teaching them to love God and to love others and about what Jesus taught in the Bible — that God is loving. He’s good. He’s holy. He’s powerful. He’s just.”
Baseball may have been supplanted by the ministry, but Larson will continue to talk to youth about his experiences, just as he did with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and through his coaching stint in Mexico.
“God calls us to use our gifts and our abilities for His glory,” Larson said, “so I get encouraged by wanting to teach young athletes that, ‘Hey, you can use your talents or abilities as a baseball player, basketball player, football player to glorify God.’”
Baseball is a way of opening the door to a more important message.
“In our culture, sports are great,” Larson said. “They’re wonderful, but for a lot of people, sports are their idol or their god. That’s where they find their ultimate purpose and ultimate meaning.
“I get excited about offering something infinitely greater and infinitely more important than sports, and that is a relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s the most important thing in life, whether you’re a mechanic or a stay-at-home mom or an accountant or a professional athlete.”
