Photo from Google Images
I haven’t watched the season finale of Game of Thrones, the latest episode of the Bachelorette and I didn’t even realize it was Shark Week! I’ve been too busy the last 12 days following my college alum, Coastal Carolina University in the College World Series.
It started when my twin brother and I went to Omaha to watch Coastal play their first CWS game in program history against Florida. It was an incredible experience, but too short of a trip. I flew back to DC for a three day work week and then back to the airport to fly to Mexico for a dear friend’s wedding. Following the games on twitter and through text was not ideal. But it was the best I could do given all the ESPN channels in Mexico were devoted to soccer and in Spanish.
I got to see part of the first championship game in the Spanish broadcast. I understood very little, but giggled every time the announcer said Coastal CaroLEENA. Coastal lost 3-0 and instead of enjoying an open bar in Mexico, all I could think about was this team forcing a game three and getting to Omaha to see the Championship.
I landed back in DC on Tuesday night and immediately got the game on my ESPN app. Customs yelled at me to put my phone away and when I explained to him what I was watching and Coastal had just went up 2-1 in the third, he said, I hope your team wins and I didn’t have to deal with a mug shot. I make it home to watch the rest on prime time and as soon as the last out was made, I booked a flight back to Omaha to watch the championship game the next day.
Twelve hours later I land back in Omaha. It felt good to be back. I meet up with friends and we headed to the game. And then, the weather delays started. When they called the game (there were tornados and lighting all around us and we had no idea) I was sick to my stomach. My flight was to take off the same time the game had been rescheduled to start. I had a non-refundable, expensive, flight. I didn’t pay all this money to not get to watch them play at all!
My only option at this point (now 2AM) was to miss my original flight and book another more expensive one-way flight to get to see the game and get back to DC at midnight on Thursday. I just kept telling myself that a National Championship was priceless. I had to spend the money and stay to see the game. I had to. There was no way I was missing this!
Thursday afternoon was hot. The energy wasn’t as high as Wednesday night. The upper deck was almost empty. So many fans had to leave on their original flights and miss the game. I was so nervous I couldn’t eat.
GK Young, AKA Mr. Conway, hit a two run homer that went 415 feet making it the third longest home run at TD Ameritrade Park. This is coming from the kid that grew up knowing he only wanted to play baseball in a Coastal uniform. Coastal had a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning. The stadium was loud, fans were on their feet and the Championship looked teal.
Then in the bottom of the 9the, Arizona has a big rally and the score was 4-3 with a runner on first and two outs. Coastal left fielder, Anthony Marks made “the play of the season in college baseball” by fielding a ball deep to left that was barley a fair ball. Coach Gilmore said “any margin of error he (Marks) has at all, that runner scores and it’s a tie game”. The game is now 4-3 with runners on second and third with two outs.
I’ve never prayed so much to the sports gods! Everyone was on their feet. Coastal reliever, Alex Cunningham had a 3-2 pitch count on Arizona’s Ryan Haug. Next pitch, high fastball for a swing and miss! COASTAL WINS THE NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!
Naturally, I jumped on the dugout in celebration until I was politely asked to step down. So then I went on the field. A media pass is clutch in these situations.
Winning an NCAA National Championship your first time at the College World Series sounds like a Cinderella story, but the Chanticleer program is no Cinderella. Coastal has the eight-most wins in college baseball since 2000. They have been to 14 NCAA regionals and three super regionals. Post-season play is part of the Chanticleer culture. They will play anyone, anywhere and never back down from any of the big conferences. Now, it’s matter of who fears the Chanticleers and will play them.
Coastal also won the trophy for highest GPA in the CWS.
I can’t wait for this story to become a movie! I would like to audition for the role of Anthony Marks’s girlfriend if Anthony plays himself. I have the biggest baseball crush on him. There is no question he was the heartbeat of this team lead by one of the greatest college coaches in sports. This team highlighted the beauty of baseball. Power conferences can win games, but mid-majors can win NCAA Championships.
With former alumni Dustin Johnson winning his first PGA Major on June 19th and now the baseball team has the University’s first NCAA Championship trophy, June has been the greatest month in Coastal Carolina University sports history! Coastal will leave the Big South Conference and become a member of the Sun Belt in July.