Sikes Orvis Sets Sight On Degree

Sikes Orvis accomplished many things during his career playing for the Ole Miss baseball team. He is one of the most decorated power hitters in the history of the program, slugging 34 career home runs. He also helped lead the Rebels to the College World Series in 2014, the first visit for Ole Miss to Omaha in the 42 years prior.

However, there is one thing Orvis did not accomplish in his highly successful time at Ole Miss due to being drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 17th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. After playing minor league baseball this past summer for the Great Falls (Montana) Voyagers, the one thing left for Orvis to accomplish was getting a degree from the University of Mississippi – a degree that the Orlando, Florida native is back on campus working toward this fall.

“Being drafted was a huge blessing,” Orvis said. “But, I always told myself and my family that I would be sure to come back in order to finish school and get my degree because, after all, there is life after baseball.”

Orvis plans on graduating in December, needing only one more course in order to graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism from the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. He hopes to parlay that degree into a career in broadcasting baseball games.

“Hopefully I can get into sports broadcasting and eventually work my way into calling baseball games,” Orvis said. “Baseball has always been something I’ve loved since I was younger, and I would love to somehow stay around the game in any way possible, whether it is playing or broadcasting games.”

Whether it is playing, broadcasting or whatever path Orvis may go down in the future, he will without a doubt have a solid support system with his family.

His father, Mark Orvis, is especially proud of his son and his mission to finish his education.

“I told Sikes before he left for college his freshman year that he had to be sure to take the term ‘student-athlete’ seriously, and that being a student would always come before being an athlete,” Mark said. “So, I’m really glad to see that advice has stuck with him to this day.”

After all he has been through at the University of Mississippi, all of the memories and all of the friendships he has made, it has been a long journey to get to the goal he is so close to reaching today. When Sikes Orvis walks across the stage to accept his diploma in December, there is no doubt that this will be his greatest achievement at Ole Miss.

Hawtin Buchanan is a senior broadcast journalism major at the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. He can be reached at hrbucha1@go.olemiss.edu.

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