2025 Winds Down: Thanks, College Baseball

By Mark Garland

As I sat on the tarmac in my airplane, still stuck in Seattle (literally delayed all day long, a 20-hour flying marathon for me), it occurred to me that despite any obstacle, I am still eternally grateful I get to cover this game and its pageantry I love so dearly, going back to Omaha.

It's the city synonymous with the wonder and amazement of this championship. In this, my fourth season covering college baseball‘s cathedral of the Men’s College World Series, I am still as excited as I was the first time I started playing this game.

As a child, my first spoken word was ball, and my mother knew from the moment I saw this wonderful game for what it truly was, poetry in motion, I was hooked for life. The thrill of seeing the athletes, coaches, staff, parents, and fans all partaking in every nuance that The Chuck (Charles Schwab Field) has to offer, it gets in your blood, your mind, your heart!

It's the excitement of childhood dreams coming true; coaches and parents seeing years of tireless molding all come to fruition in this, the center stage of our sport! For all but one, it remains dust and shadows of what ifs and what could have been.

Still, all eight of these battle-tested squads enter an equal tournament, believing this is their chance at eternal remembrance. The epitome of moments, representing their schools and playing for each other to attain history. The 75th Anniversary of this occasion in Douglas County, Nebraska awaits, and I for one am ready to embrace this National Championship showdown with open arms and a smile on my face.

This season has been filled with a tremendous amount of change. A tumultuous landscape of college sports is coming to a culmination with the last crowned champion of 2025.

It brought new conference foes, long distances of travel, challenges beyond recognition and reproach. While a certain college sport's greed may have changed our landscape, the stoic game of baseball remains mostly unchanged. It began in February with 307 teams, all with a road to Omaha in site. You must collect 27 outs, there is no time clock to turn to when things get difficult. The defense has the ball and essentially controls the pace of play, while the offense disrupts rhythm and accuracy.

Baseball is not an exact science, and surprises take place every year, week, game, inning, out, and pitch. It is not a game for the faint of heart nor the weak-minded. It’s a mental struggle that combines physical prowess with a learned intelligence of the game. The internal struggle of ability and want to. No, this game is not for the meek or timid, but it rewards those who passionately and relentlessly strive for greatness. 

Will we see a Cinderella story emerge as two very talented "Mid-Major" teams enter the conversation? Repeating never made it to town, but will we crown a first-time champion in this game in the next 11 days? Do we see perennial blue bloods continue to strengthen their grip on this coveted title, rising back to the top of the mountain laughing in the face of defeat and turmoil?

All of this will play out over time, as just one team will be victorious, as we also see seven others endure heartbreak and ponder "What if?". For me, I plan on enjoying the end of this season by spending it with colleagues, friends, family, fans, coaches, and players I have come to know, by name and reputation if not personally, this season. I hope all of you join me in enjoying the Men’s College World Series once more.

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