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11 unusual facts about College World Series


Adam Piatt

Piatt played mostly at 3rd base for MSU and was named to the 2nd team All-Southeastern Conference unit in 1997, when the Bulldogs reached the College World Series.

Austin Davis

His cousin Jason Smith plays baseball for the Houston Astros organization and his brother, Bo, plays baseball for the San Diego Padres organization and helped lead the Southern Miss Golden Eagles to its first College World Series appearance.

Billy Ray Barnes

After the 1955 football season ended, he joined the baseball team at third base where he hit .319, led the league in stolen bases (17) and helped Wake Forest win the 1955 National Baseball Championship.

Dan Laing

In addition to his current work, Laing called the action for 1999 and 2001 NCAA College World Series Champion Miami Hurricanes.

Eagle Day

As a pitcher, Day was with the Rebels baseball team in 1956 when it went to the College World Series.

Kyle Peterson

Since 2003, Peterson has covered the College World Series, Little League World Series, and Major League playoffs.

Lawyer Milloy

In 1994, he played baseball on a Washington team that played Georgia Tech in the College World Series regional finals and featured future Major League Baseball players Jason Varitek and Nomar Garciaparra.

Oakland County Cruisers

College baseball remains popular in Ypsilanti: Eastern Michigan University won a NAIA national championship in 1971 and made it all the way to the championship game of the NCAA College World Series in 1976 before losing to Arizona.

Steve Freeman

Freeman's son, Brad, was a four-year letterman on the Mississippi State baseball team and helped the Bulldogs reach the College World Series in 1997 and 1998, and is now a field judge in the SEC.

W.C. Madden

He has also written about the Western League and the College World Series.

Zesto Drive-In

Among the cities where locally owned Zestos currently operate include Evansville, Indiana; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Seattle, Washington; Atlanta, Georgia; Columbia, South Carolina; Fremont, Nebraska; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Omaha, Nebraska (where it operates across from Rosenblatt Stadium, former home of the College World Series).


Benny Castillo

While Castillo was a junior in 1987, OSU reached the championship game in the College World Series against Stanford University, losing 9 to 5 to future MLB pitcher Jack McDowell.

Craig Minervini

He also has done play-by-play for various other sports include Notre Dame football on NBC, CBS Sports Spectacular, College World Series on ESPN, Major League Soccer, XFL on TNN, boxing on TNN, mixed martial arts on TNN, Syracuse Chiefs AAA baseball, and Syracuse Orange football, basketball, lacrosse, and soccer.

Greg Gumbel

Besides his hosting duties, Gumbel provided play-by-play for the NBA, Major League Baseball including the 1993 American League Championship Series (alongside Jim Kaat), and College World Series baseball.

Lee Cruz

Cruz was the MVP of the 2006 NCAA Division II College World Series, was considered quite an acquisition by the Chicago White Sox for a 10th-round draft pick (315th overall) in 2006.

Leo Schrall

His teams won 346 games while losing only 189 in 24 seasons, reaching the College World Series in 1950 and 1956.

Nick Stavinoha

He is one of the few players in college baseball to participate in both the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado (twice) and also at the NCAA D1 World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.