Chris Grothues: Faith on the Field

How a UCLA Left-Hander is Using His Platform to Impact Athletes Across the Country

On a warm spring evening at Jackie Robinson Stadium, the crowd rises as UCLA calls to the bullpen. Out jogs Chris “Goose” Grothues, the left-hander with a quiet demeanor and a determined look. For many fans, he’s simply the relief pitcher charged with shutting down an inning. But for those who know his story, every pitch from “Goose” is a reminder of perseverance, faith, and the power of using one’s platform for something bigger than the game.

A Journey Shaped by Setbacks
Grothues’ road to the mound has been anything but easy. As a promising young pitcher, he tore his UCL and endured Tommy John surgery—a grueling process that often leaves careers in doubt. “I thought I might never pitch again,” he admitted. “It was a season of waiting, and honestly, of questioning.”

Just as he was nearing a return, another blow came: a scooter accident that left him sidelined again. The physical pain was hard enough; the mental strain of feeling left behind while his teammates pressed forward was even harder. “It was crushing,” he said. “I had to learn that my identity wasn’t in whether I was on the field or not.”

Grounded Through FCA
From an early age, Grothues was immersed in Fellowship of Christian Athletes Baseball. He attended camp at just 8 years old, joined the FCA Catch travel team at 14, and later served as a junior camp coach during high school. Those experiences taught him that baseball was more than stats and wins—it could be a stage for faith and a lesson in identity.

“A phrase I often heard at camp from Coach Benny was, ‘Baseball is a great game, but a terrible god,’” Grothues said. “That has always stuck with me. FCA Baseball taught me that baseball is a platform, not the end goal. Later in my career, when I couldn’t pitch, FCA gave me a place to invest in younger players and also be encouraged myself. It completely changed the way I saw the game.”

That foundation would prove vital when his career faced its toughest tests.

Chris at FCA Baseball Summer Camp

Chris playing on the FCA Catch Youth Team

Faith on the National Stage
In 2025, Grothues became a key relief arm in the Bruins’ run to the NCCAA College World Series in Omaha. His calm in high-pressure innings, coupled with his renewed joy for the game, caught the attention not only of teammates and coaches but also of the broader faith community.

Sports Spectrum magazine recently featured his story, and Grothues appeared on their “What’s Up Podcast” to speak candidly about injuries, setbacks, and perseverance. “Injuries can take away the game,” he said, “but they can’t take away the purpose God’s given you.”

And even at the height of that season, another trial came. While throwing in Omaha, Grothues began to feel pain in his elbow. As he returned home and saw the team physician, he was told told to shut things down, and the news was crushing—he had just been invited to the prestigious Cape Cod League, an opportunity that could have elevated his draft stock.

But instead of despair, Grothues leaned into what had always grounded him: FCA. Rather than heading east for summer ball, he showed up at FCA camp. Known affectionately by campers as “Coach Sunburn,” he poured himself into the week—sharing his story, mentoring athletes, and pointing them to a faith bigger than the game. Once again, God used FCA to turn another setback into a chance for impact.

Chris signing autographs at the College World Series in Omaha, NE.

More Than a Pitcher
For Grothues, that’s the heart of it. Every bullpen call, every appearance, is more than just a stat line—it’s a platform.

“Chris has this calmness about him,” one teammate said. “You know he’s been through stuff, but he doesn’t let it shake him. He just competes, and he encourages the rest of us to see the bigger picture.”

From the dugouts of FCA camps to the lights of the College World Series, Grothues’ story resonates as proof that setbacks can become stepping stones, and that faith can carry an athlete further than talent ever could.

““I don’t know how long I’ll get to play this game, but I know why I play it. And that makes all the difference.””

— Chris Grothues

Chris flips a ball to some young fans at the College World Series in Omaha, NE.

The Road Ahead
As his career unfolds, Grothues is determined to keep walking the same path, faith first, baseball second. Whether it’s striking out a batter in front of thousands or sharing his testimony with a room of high school athletes, his mission remains steady: to use his platform to impact lives.

“I don’t know how long I’ll get to play this game,” he said, “but I know why I play it. And that makes all the difference.”

The Last Lap

by Peter Koontz

Rose Drive Camp 2 saw the final group of FCA campers come to the field as eager and excited as any group had been all summer to experience a full week of Jesus and baseball. There was no doubt that the Shepherds team who got to lead them was feeling the effects of a full summer of ministry. There were no doubt many weary legs and heavy heads in the group, but day in and day out the squad was bought in. Encouraging words from leadership set the tone on Monday morning, and the team was off and rolling yet again. 

There is no doubt that this group of campers was a handful. From the moment camp kicked off there were far more wandering eyes, distracted ears, and mouths and hands that wanted nothing more than to distract friends and mess around. But the enthusiasm was there. These kids were thrilled to be here. The challenge was just to focus that energy correctly. One coach who experienced the challenges that came with this week was Jason Cruz.

Cruz had the privilege of coaching a team in Majors this week that had their challenges, and he shared that “The team I was coaching last week were absolute studs at baseball, but early on in the week they were pretty cocky towards the other teams.” 

Cruz trusted God throughout the week to change the hearts of his guys and saw beautiful results.

“Progressively throughout the week, while talking to them during Bible times, Coaches times and also 1-on-1 conversations, I saw a change in the way they acted and by Friday I could see that they were not playing for themselves, but for God. So it was awesome to see that God was able to help me pour out into my campers and help them realize that playing for God is far more important than playing for themselves.”

Hearts get changed every week at FCA baseball camps and the diligent faithful service of Jason Cruz was a big part of that at Rose Drive Camp 2. But God’s work went far beyond just what he did in that one team. 

Cruz also shared that “Another way that I saw God working was in Coach Pooks, he was dealt a tough team to deal with and I know it was very challenging for him. However, he did not let the adversity stop him and God helped him lead 9 of his campers to Christ last week which was really impactful to see.” 

God can work mightily through anyone. All he needs is the trust of us, his faithful servants. Coach Pooks and his junior coaches were dealt a heavy hand at this camp, and their faithful service led to 9 new souls being saved.

 God’s work never returns void, even when we can’t see it outwardly right away. The diligence of the Shepherds team has been key to this work through these 6 weeks of camp. Seeds have been planted, and much fruit has sprung up even through the time spent at camp itself. Imagine how much more will grow in the hearts of the campers and their families all throughout the rest of this year. 

The work of the Shepherds has closed on this chapter. But it is never truly done. These young men and women will disperse all throughout the country. And they will shepherd again. On school campuses, in workplaces, with friends, at restaurants, at sports events, and in classrooms. Because being a Shepherd isn’t a summer job. It’s a lifetime commitment. And this group is built for it. 

Fullerton Fellowship

by Peter Koontz

For the week of July 21-25, the Shepherds team took the good news of Jesus Christ to the city of Fullerton on the campus of Troy High School. This was a beautiful week of ministry and fun and the gospel was beautifully brought forward to the city and many of the families that lived in it. 

What made this week particularly special was the comradery that was shown by multiple key pieces of the Fullerton community.  This week’s FCA camp was made possible by the friendship and generosity of Trot High school and the amazing staff that was in place. The coaches, trainer, and custodial team was an essential element in making the camp run the way it did. 

Equally essential to this camp’s success was an elite team of volunteers who set their own personal interests aside and poured their efforts out to make the week run the best it possibly could. In Matthew 20:26-28, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ says that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The Troy camp’s team of volunteers modelled this beautifully. 

A unique part of this specific team of volunteers was the members of Fullerton Friends Church who were serving at the camp. 

Director Isaac Friesen expressed his gratitude to the church saying that they “Provided a uniquely clear next step for our campers. It’s great for the campers to see a local church that is living out the walk of Christ and ready to help them do the same. Having a church where the campers can go and see familiar faces is a big blessing for them.” 

Week 5 out of 6 was just put into the books, and it was one marked by relentless servitude by so many. This has been a summer built by servant hearted people and it is beautiful to see the group continuing to be full steam ahead even after what has been a full and no doubt tiring summer of camps. 

A Golden Summer

by Peter Koontz

Baseball is a great game but a terrible god. That is what has been preached every day of every week for the past 5 weeks of FCA baseball camps. This is a hard truth to live out as the game is intoxicating and wonderful to have in your life. However, the Shepherds team got to spend the first three weeks of July (Sonora camp sandwiched between two off-weeks) really tapping into the joy that comes from living out a beautiful relationship with our glorious God in heaven. 

During these three weeks, many lives were changed through baptism, bold evangelistic conversations, coaching of young campers, community service, witnessing God work masterfully at the Harvest Crusade, and beautiful brotherhood and fellowship all throughout. Countless memories were made in these times that will be cherished by the Shepherds team and those they got to form relationships with and plant seeds of truth in. 

One Shepherd who got a front row seat to all that God was doing in this time was Trey Todd. Having made the trek from Asbury University in Kentucky to join the team on the Golden Coast, Trey was blown away by all that he saw over these three weeks. 

“The baptisms were awesome!” said Trey “We were at pirates cove where tons of people have been baptized in the past! 7 of our guys got baptized that day! It was a privilege witnessing them commit their lives to Jesus!”

This moment is a landmark for all of these young men’s walks with Christ, but it is also a clear testament of the work that has been done in this team by God this summer. The growth and ministry that has taken place is truly a miraculous work of our Father in Heaven. 

“Community service really brought perspective to what we’re doing this summer. Whether we are teaching kids about Jesus and baseball or serving food and water to people on Skid row it’s all about serving! That was a prime example of learning to care for other people how Jesus would. Evangelism day was special because of all the people that engaged with us and sought out prayer! There were even some awesome people that prayed for us and what we are doing! I believe that God used us that day to reveal himself and his love to a lot of people that we may never encounter again.”

This was a powerful opportunity for the Shepherds team to branch out in their ministry and learn and see God work in new ways that they might not have expected. God worked in new and wonderful ways through these times of evangelism and service. 

In between the two off-weeks was the Sonora Baseball camp. All summer campers came from all over Southern California to learn about the great game of baseball and more importantly the beautiful truth that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

In reflecting on the week of camp, Trey said that “Sonora camp was by far my favorite! Co-coaching with Coach Southpaw was the most fun because he’s a huge ball of energy! Our team had 5 guys commit to following Jesus and we won the World Series! This week opened my eyes to how fun sports ministry really can be!”

Some of the team of Shepherds had the privilege to gather as a brotherhood and go worship God and see him work at the Harvest Crusade at Angel Stadium on July 19. This was a powerful night for the kingdom of God as countless people gave their lives to him for the first time and many many more hearts were stirred up to live a life more fully committed to following a God who loves us so much. 

“My jaw literally dropped at Harvest Crusade because of how many people came down to the field to profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.” Said Trey, “I could not wrap my mind around it. Also, 45,000 people singing to the Lord in Angel Stadium was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I was truly amazed!”

The month of July has had many of the highlights of what has been a beautiful and powerful summer for the ministry of this year’s Shepherds team. There will be many more to come as the team finishes up the last of their camps and continues to grow and share the powerful news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Halfway Through A Job Well Done

by Peter Koontz

Week Three is in the books for the 2025 SoCal FCA Summer camps. Over the three weeks In La Mirada, Anaheim Hills, and Yorba Linda, countless balls have been tossed, smiles and laughs shared, and lives changed forever. The latter of those is always the ultimate goal and that goal has certainly been met and even exceeded thus far. 

This year’s team of Shepherds has poured out everything they’ve had week in and week out through a long and in many ways treacherous month of June. 105 camp hours were carried out over a three week span and countless hours have gone into preparing for those. The team has been diligent day in and day out, cherishing the work that they have the privilege to continue to do. For this is not just their work that they are doing, but the mission of their Father in heaven and the Son that he sent down for us. It’s beautiful work but certainly not easy. 

With this level of difficulty comes an acute awareness of the need for God’s strength and his hand in our life. This leads to beautiful and powerful moments that change lives forever. This can happen for either a coach or a camper over the course of a summer and thus far FCA has been with both. 

One Shepherd who has had the privilege to see this on full display has been Afton Koch, a first time Shepherd who has come all the way from Minnesota and been blown away by the experience thus far. 

When reflecting on his personal life in the summer thus far, Afton shared that “I’ve seen God work in my own life this summer by Jesus helping me understand how much He loves me and what he did for me on the cross. Understanding His love for me has helped me love the campers in a deep way.” 

In terms of the campers, he reveled in the fact that “I’ve seen God work in many of the campers’ lives throughout the first 3 camps. One camper stuck out in particular and that was a member of the Pigs in the Crescent Hills camp. It was absolutely amazing to see his life changed as he began to know Jesus more, and as he saw the love of Jesus in his coaches. You could see his heart just soften throughout the week. My highlight of the summer so far has definitely been the individual time getting to talk to campers during coaches time and all other points during the camp. All the kids are so precious to get to spend time with, helping them in their relationship with Jesus”

The work of the Lord our God never comes back void or in vain. He works in ways we can never imagine. All we must do is follow him diligently to the best of our abilities. We are grown and shaped for this work largely by those around us, and Afton has certainly been helped by his peers by being part of a great Shepherds team. 

In reflecting on this, Afton shared that “It’s been absolutely amazing to be a part of the shepherd’s team as a first-time coach. Being a coach at these FCA camps is one of the most amazing things I’ve gotten the opportunity to do. To be able to love on the kids for hours and hours a week is such an amazing opportunity. It’s definitely helped me get to know Jesus more personally and it has been amazing to get to know many others who are on fire for Jesus that help push me in my faith.”

The young men who make up the SoCal FCA Shepherds have guided their flock well through the three weeks of June Camps. You can be sure that they’ll come back rested and ready for the July chapter of the summer. 

WEEK 2: ADJUST AND EXCEL

by Peter Koontz

Any task worth doing will test the mind, body, or soul, and sometimes even all three. FCA Baseball camps often hit all three and the first ever Crescent Elementary School FCA Camp in Anaheim Hills was most certainly no exception. There were obstacles from day one, with missing leadership and sudden physical ailments to coaches being headliners amongst them. 

But any team with intentions of accomplishing anything knows to be ready for a challenge and the Shepherds and their leaders are certainly one such team. Proving themselves to be more than justa group of individuals with skills, they showed the true metal of a team that is a well oiled machine, making necessary adjustments from the get go and setting out to achieve their goal. 

From the very first day I saw that unfold before my own eyes, as young men stepped into tasks that they had never done before, trusting God’s grace and provision to get them through the week successfully. I saw young first timers stepping up to work at a caliber many would think was that of a seasoned veteran. The mission of FCA was in a dire spot for a moment that anxious Monday morning, but the Shepherds would rather break themselves to pieces than see an opportunity for the gospel to move forward. It was a task that promised to bring pain, sweat, and tears. It was a task that the Shepherds signed up for with a smile and a high five.    

Shepherd Anthony Wilson was one of the first year Shepherds who stepped up on the front lines of the camp this week and he had much insight to share about how the week went and the unique challenges it brought. 

Wilson said that “This year’s team is special, even with smaller numbers and different people leading us we came together as a group and supported and leaned on each other and worked tirelessly to have a smooth camp for the kids, it was a complete team effort.”

As a result of this team effort Wilson saw great fruit at the camp this week. There were many examples but one particularly special one he recalled was a particularly challenging camper having a massive change of heart throughout the week as a result of the diligent faithful work of another coach who really felt God put serving this kid on his heart. Another highlight was his own team showing appreciation and encouragement after Wilson’s first ever Bible time talk in front of the whole camp. 

When asked about the biggest challenge of a camp week, Wilson said “the long days, with practice and gym after camp days, but the kids make it well worth the effort and bring out joy in us shepherds and we get to see how God is moving out here and it’s such a blessing to be a part of!”

In sports, many athletes or teams have crumbled under the pressure of a big moment due to youth or inexperience. This year’s team of Shepherds is a massive outlier, with few returners on the roster and extraordinary work being done wherever one may look. The difference is found in a special bond based in a faith in the truth that God spoke in 2 Corinthians 12:9 when he made a beautiful promise. 

“My strength is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

God’s work needs nothing more from us than faith and diligent servitude and this year’s young squad of Shepherds were a beautiful example of that at Crescent Elementary this week.

Week 1: Starting the Race

WEEK 1:STARTING THE RACE

by Peter Koontz


Any great undertaking takes adjustment and time to learn. FCA Baseball camps are a great undertaking with a myriad of challenges and nobody could really fault a camp worker for needing to figure it out as they go in the first week of a long summer. But that is simply not the way the Shepherds do things. Eternal lives are at stake week in and week out and there are souls that can be won by the grace of God every single day of camp. So there is no time to start slow or ease in. The Shepherds dove into Week 1 of the summer at La Mirada High school with purpose, intensity, and excellence despite the magnitude of their task. 

Over the course of a week, I had the privilege of seeing numerous examples of the type of beautiful sacrifice talked about in Philippians 2:3-4 which reads “2 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Day in and day out this week, I was able to witness many men and women of the faith truly show how deeply they care about God’s kingdom and his children who need to hear about it so desperately. Self interest of all kinds was put to the side as mind, body and spirit were put to the test all day every day for a long week of camp. 

One of the men on the front lines of these efforts was Shepherd Matthew Busch. Busch was able to speak into the mentality and trials of the week by saying that “The most tiring part of a week at camp is probably just how long our days are. With practice and the gym on top of camp the hours add up.” They certainly do, as the Shepherds serve at camp for 40 hours a week and have to work to stay in baseball shape outside of the camps too. 

But this is the life that the Shepherds have chosen for this summer, and they would not trade it for anything. 

For Busch himself, he says that “It’s all worth it for the relationships I have been able to make with the campers and the other coaches. I saw God working in one of my campers this week and he made the amazing decision to follow Christ! Another big highlight was me and my boys winning our final game of the week in a nail biter against the Maple Mashers.” 

Jesus and baseball really do come together in beautiful harmony at these camps, and getting to teach and share both beautiful things makes serving at FCA baseball not merely a chore that the men and women God brings together to run this time suffer through and tolerate, but a pleasure and privilege that every one of them cherish as a highlight of their summer, year, and even lives. 

Week 1 is in the books, and this year’s squad of FCA leaders is off to a hot start.  

The Need For a Team

by Peter Koontz

The work of the Lord our God requires our entire commitment. In Mark 12:30 spells this out for us, saying that the path of a follower of Christ is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”. We cannot do this work on our own in a world that seeks to distract, harm, and derail us. In fact, we are CALLED to not do this alone. We need to be part of a team that’s seeking to train together to do this work.

For the past two weeks, I have had the privilege to be a small part of a team that is embodying the fellowship of growth and love that the Word of God shows us the beauty of in Philippians 2:1-2. This passage reads, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind”. 

The Shepherds have prepared and equipped themselves for a summer of Ministry by fully embracing brothers who are like minded. During the Pine Summit retreat, I saw young men coming alongside one another in Christ-like love, truly showing that they are one in spirit and of one mind mere hours into meeting one another. Burdens, trials, sins, and failures were laid bare before those who were truly strangers a short time ago, knowing that all who were there with them had their sins washed away just the same.  

They came down from the mountain energized and eager to learn all they could during a long training week. The week presented the group with many questions, obstacles, challenges, and bright young faces of Junior coaches who they would be guiding all summer long. But this new team rose to the challenge, relishing in the love for their God and their peers. No beating sun, challenging question, or heavy box of equipment was too much for this team. As a lone man, any of them could have fallen, but as a team of brothers they learned and grew from every day’s challenges and came out the other side ready and eager.   

The blood of Christ brought together mere strangers over a short few hours, transforming a band of young guys who had come from all over the country into a team eager to share the good news that had transformed them with everyone they could. Many came in to Day One timid and unsure of themselves, but were quickly built up by their new friends and ready to tackle whatever challenge was presented to them in the coming weeks and months. 

The Shepherds have assembled, and they can’t wait to feed the flock given to them by their great God.