In the Shadows of Legends: Unveiling the Beauty of College Baseball
My experience with College baseball can be defined in a lot of ways. It's the sound of a crowd roaring from my back porch. It's gathering 50 middle schoolers in the middle of Tennessee to watch a World Series-clinching game. It's cheering on my wife's Alma Mater. It's my Dad's work as the team chaplain. It's former students of mine playing at the highest level. It's dudes that come to the church I work at every week. It's fun, it's exciting, and most of all, it's different.
Until I moved to Conway, South Carolina, 9 years ago, college baseball was a blip on my radar. I have a few memories from watching the various World Series as a kid. I remember watching Huston Street absolutely dominate for the Texas Longhorns. I remember thinking Cal State Fullerton was the coolest team ever. And most of all, I remember MVP NCAA Baseball 2006. But all of that was when I was a young child. As I grew older, the interest ultimately faded. I couldn't give you a reason for that other than I watched a lot of different sports, and the significant colleges around me only recently had a program. Then I moved down here, and everything changed as I began to go to different Coastal Carolina University ball games. Through my experience over the last 9 years, I have come to love and appreciate college baseball for what it is. It's a game that is rich in tradition, massively competitive, and filled with drama, but what I love the most about college baseball is its sense of community and pure love.
To me? That makes it different.
If you were to trace the roots of college baseball, you would find yourself back to July 1, 1859. College baseball might be new in popularity, but it is not new. We have seen dynastic programs such as USC in the 70s, Arizona State's dominance, Augie Garrido's teams, and recently Vanderbilt. This has shaped and formed the game to be what it is in its current condition. The popularity today has been built on the dedication of yesterday. These games, advances, and different styles have created one giant boiling pot of madness. Thinking we have gone from non-televised games to the Vandy Whistler (the worst) to everyone throwing their drinks in the air at Ole Miss (the best) is incredible. In the day and age of marketing, college baseball has found its niche.
Part of the reason that the niche works? The competitiveness. Everybody has a chance to be somebody. My backyard team proves that. The road to the 2016 World Series was the ultimate example. The team, while talented, didn't "match up" to any of the teams they faced. It was a selfless and relentless work ethic where you had to show up to play against the Chants that year, or you would get beat. But that's college baseball. The playing field is more level than any other sport. If your team works hard enough and has enough belief, anything can happen. Every year, I am brimming with optimism about what CCU has the chance to do; this year, especially, is a group of guys that can make some noise, and fans around the country feel that way about their team. That's different from every other sport. Sure, the SEC seemingly dominates the rankings, but where else can fans of CCU, Cal State Fullerton, and UC Santa Barbara legitimately think they can win a championship? Nowhere else.
Teams like that are successful because it comes down to two specific things. Culture and Chasing Dreams. These programs are great because of the culture they have created. For example, I get a front-row seat to what Coach Gary Gilmore has done at Coastal. Sure, the facilities are excellent, and it's a desirable place to go to school, but that doesn't mean that success comes naturally. Day after day, year after year, season after season, a culture of success has been created. It's a beautiful thing to observe because when you pair that culture with an athlete chasing his dream - you see one of the most engaging athletic arenas. These environments create memorable moments, from nerve-wracking regional games to home runs that literally go into the parking lot to some of the most ridiculous diving catches you will ever see. The college baseball experience is one built on chasing success both on the personal and communal level. That intersection leads to unpredictable drama.
That drama builds community. There is a true sense of tribal loyalty to the team that you root for that is unwavering and brimming with enthusiasm. For the past month, about 7 of us in our office won't shut up about opening day. We cannot wait because we know the joy of being in a crowd and rooting for a team together. It's not a separation between church and state, though, because of the community that we live in, the athletes that we cheer for are athletes that I have had the opportunity to talk to, preach to, and, in some cases, personally disciple. This is more than just a game; this relationship extends from a field to a friendship. I care about this team, not for the wins and losses on the field, but for the wins and losses in life. But that round ball and metal bat is the conduit, the beginning of the relationship that has now extended into something much bigger and, frankly, much more critical.
Which brings us full circle back to the game that is played. I experienced a pure love for the game when I stepped into that stadium. I see families enjoying themselves, players wanting to PLAY baseball, students heckling other teams, and dugouts that are fully engaged in what is happening. While I am almost 30 (YIKES), I haven't been on this earth for that long, so I grew up in the digital age of sports. This has some massive advantages, but it often makes me think about what people refer to as the "good ole days" of sports - when people went to a game and focused on the moment. Every time I go, I feel like I am there for the moment, and so is everyone else. Sure, people are still on their phones, rolling down the hill, kicking back, and relaxing, but at that moment, we get to see the beauty of college baseball…. The love of the game.
Sure, college baseball isn't the MLB. Heck, it isn't even college football. But that isn't the point. There is something special and unique about baseball in a college setting. It may be in the shadow of legends, but it shouldn't be. While I have been to and watched many games, this is the first year my family has had season tickets to Coastal games, and I couldn't be more excited. It's provided me more memories than I could count, and I don't believe it will stop there. The girls and I are making it a part of our rhythm, so you should, too.
If you have never given your local college baseball team a watch, I urge you to do so. You might fall in love with the beauty of it, just as I have.