The colloquial term for the NCAA Division I Men’s College World Series is “the greatest show on dirt.” For those unfamiliar with the chaos and craze of college baseball’s postseason tournament, the term might seem hyperbolic. I promise, it’s not.
Baseball is not my favorite sport, I make no secret of that. Before this year, I would have barely described myself as a fan of the sport. I find the MLB season drags on and on, usually only catching my interest when the pennant races are heating up. The College World Series — men’s and women’s — have caught my attention for the last several years, likely because my Texas Longhorns have stayed in the mix in both tournaments.
kAmkDA2?m$@>6E9:?8 492?865 7@C >6 E9:D D62D@?[ 9@H6G6C] pD x H2565 E9C@F89 E96 DAC:?8 DA@CED D62D@?[ x 7@F?5 >JD6=7 D66<:?8 @FE 4@==686 32D632== 2?5 D@7E32== 72C >@C6 E92? :? J62CD A2DE 56DA:E6 2=D@ 2EE6?5:?8 D6G6C2= 82>6D >JD6=7 E9C@F89@FE E96 H66<] x 5:5?’E 6G6? ?@E:46 F?E:= x 7@F?5 >JD6=7 H2E49:?8 82>6D ;FDE 7@C E96 D2<6 @7 :E H96? AC6G:@FD=J x H@F=5?’E 92G6 4@?D:56C65 EF?:?8 :? F?E:= E96 $FA6C #68:@?2= DE286 2E E96 62C=:6DE] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m|2J36 :E’D ;FDE 2 ?6H=J 24BF:C65 E2DE6 7@C DA@CED H:E9 2 32E 2?5 2 32==[ 3FE E96C6 :D D@>6E9:?8 D@ :CC6D:DE:3=6 23@FE A@DED62D@? 4@==686 32D632== 2?5 D@7E32==] |2C49 |25?6DD 92D 2=H2JD 366? >J 72G@C:E6 A@DED62D@? @7 2?J DA@CE — 4@==686 @C AC@76DD:@?2= — 32C ?@?6[ 3FE E96 492@D 2?5 5C2>2E:4D @7 E96 r@==686 (@C=5 $6C:6D 6G@<6 >2?J @7 E96 D2>6 6>@E:@?D H:E9 6BF2==J 9:89 DE2<6D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m$:IEJ\7@FC @7 E96 36DE E62>D :? 4@==686 32D632== 2C6 D6=64E65 E@ E96 E@FC?2>6?E[ b_ @7 H9:49 C646:G6 2FE@>2E:4 3:5D 3J H:??:?8 C68F=2C D62D@? @C 4@?76C6?46 E:E=6D] bc E62>D C646:G6 2E\=2C86 3:5D[ D6=64E65 3J E96 }rpp 32D65 @? C2?<:?8D[ DEC6?8E9 @7 D4965F=6 2?5 @G6C2== D62D@? A6C7@C>2?46] k^DA2?mk^Am
More from this section
kAmkDA2?m%62>D 2C6 DA=:E :?E@ `e 8C@FAD @7 7@FC E62>D 7@C C68:@?2=D[ H9:49 2C6 9@DE65 3J E96 E@A `e E62>D C2?<65 3J E96 }rpp] !=2J6CD 2?5 4@2496D 2C6 E96? AFE E9C@F89 2 8CF6=:?8 5@F3=6\6=:>:?2E:@? E@FC?2>6?E H:E9 E96 9@A6 @7 >2<:?8 :E E@ E96 $FA6C #68:@?2=’D E9C66\82>6 D6C:6D 2?5 6G6?EF2==J ~>292[ }63C2D<2[ E96 9@>6 @7 E96 8C62E6DE D9@H @? 5:CE] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%96 7@C>2E[ D@ D:>:=2C E@ |2C49 |25?6DD 3FE DE:== F?:BF6 E@ E96 DA@CE[ :D @?6 @7 E96 >2:? C62D@?D H9J E96 r($ :D D@ 56=:4:@FD E@ 72?D] s@F3=6 6=:>:?2E:@? :D C2C6=J D66? :? 2?J @E96C EJA6 @7 4@>A6E:E:@?[ 6DA64:2==J 36J@?5 E96 2>2E6FC =6G6=] %96 DE2<6D :E 4C62E6D 2C6 F?=:<6 2?J @E96C[ ECF=J C:G2=:?8 4@==686 32D<6E32==’D :4@?:4 7@C>2E] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m~?6 DE@CJ=:?6 92D 366? 6DA64:2==J 4@>A6==:?8 7@C >6 E9C@F89@FE E9:D r@==686 (@C=5 $6C:6D[ :E’D @?6 E92E 9:ED 4=@D6 E@ 9@>6 7@C 2== @7 FD 96C6 :? t=>@C6 r@F?EJ] (6’G6 366? H:E?6DD:?8 @?6 @7 E96 ECF6 4:?56C6==2 DE@C:6D :? 4@==686 DA@CED[ E96 %C@J %C@;2?D[ H9@ 6?E6C65 E96 E@FC?2>6?E 2D @?6 @7 E96 7:?2= E62>D D6=64E65 7@C 2? 2E\=2C86 3:5 E96? E@@< 2 =@DD E@ |:2>: @? s2J ` @7 E96 C68:@?2= @?=J E@ DE@C> 324<[ @FDE:?8 #:56C[ |:2>: 2?5 u=@C:52 E@ 4=:?49 2 $FA6C #68:@?2=D 36CE9] %9:D H66<6?5 E96 %C@;2?D 6D42A65 6=:>:?2E:@? @?46 282:?[ DE@C>:?8 324< 7C@> 2 7@FC\CF? 567:4:E E@ 362E ~=6 |:DD[ `a\g] xE’D ECF=J @?6 @7 E96 36DE DE@C:6D x’G6 D66? :? DA@CED :? 2 =@?8 E:>6] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mx? 2 E:>6 H96C6 E96 =:EE=6 8FJ D66D DF49 =:EE=6 DF446DD @? E96 3:886DE DE286D :? 4@==686 DA@CED[ %C@J :D C6>:?5:?8 FD E92E J@F >:89E 36 5@H?[ 3FE J@F’C6 ?6G6C ECF=J @FE] x? ~>292 @7 2== A=246D[ 5C62>D 5@ 4@>6 ECF6]k^DA2?mk^Am
