Chapelboro.com’s coverage of Carolina baseball in the Men’s College World Series is proudly presented by High & Rubish Insurance Agency.
Chapelboro’s Michael Koh is in Omaha to cover UNC Baseball as it plays in the Men’s College World Series. During Michael’s stay, he’ll publish a daily series featuring his thoughts and observations from Omaha, as well as his usual coverage of the team.
Day 1: The Venice of the Midwest
Day 2: Autographs
Day 3: The Center of the Universe
Day 4: Scenes from Rocco’s
UNC head coach Scott Forbes said it best: at the Men’s College World Series, there’s always something to do. Yours truly isn’t nearly as busy as the Diamond Heels have been across the past few days, but between media availabilities, travel to and from Charles Schwab Field, and putting together the last few entries in this diary, I’ve found my head spinning.
Which is why, inspired by Carolina giving itself a break in between games, I decided to take a little time to myself Sunday morning before UNC took on West Virginia that evening.
What does giving myself a break look like?
It looks like me sprawled across the couch at my lovely Airbnb in Council Bluffs, IA, about 15 minutes or so away from downtown Omaha. The items on my to-do list: finish the leftover pizza from Rocco’s; read another story in “The Baseball Vault,” an anthology of some of Sports Illustrated’s greatest stories; and of course, watch the FIFA World Cup.
Truly a grueling morning. I’m not sure how I got through it.
I found myself thoroughly entertained by the early World Cup match between Germany and Curaçao, the tiny island nation – officially a territory of the Netherlands – making its debut in the tournament. It was thrilling to see the underdogs snatch a shocking goal against the Germans to even the match at 1-1 (though, as I’m writing this out, Germany leads 4-1 early in the second half).
Curaçao, Haiti and the other small nations playing in the World Cup this summer should be an inspiration to us all: no matter the obstacles, no matter the lack of first-class infrastructure, no matter the geopolitical privilege of some of your neighbors, success is possible.
For an example of that on a much smaller scale, let’s look down the road at the Troy Trojans, who played their second College World Series game earlier Sunday against Ole Miss. Hailing from the Sun Belt Conference and officially designated as one of the NCAA Tournament’s “Last Four In,” Troy became the first team to qualify for the College World Series despite losing 30 or more games during the season. The Trojans actually lost their first game of the NCAA Tournament to Miami, then rattled off six straight victories to reach Omaha.
Can you imagine a Sun Belt team reaching the Elite Eight in March Madness? The tournament might be shut down before something like that comes to pass.
Or maybe not. After all, Curaçao scored against Germany at the World Cup. We should start believing in those with long odds.
These are just some of the thoughts passing through my head as I digest the last of my Rocco’s pizza and get ready to head into the city for more baseball. Neither UNC nor West Virginia exactly qualify for the “plucky underdog” role — both are national seeds and are seeking their first national championships. But that doesn’t mean their stays in Omaha lack in storylines. UNC has given itself the “honor” of being one of the best programs in the nation – perhaps the best – without a title. West Virginia’s karaoke-filled run to Omaha has captured the hearts and minds of neutral fans across the country. Nobody can resist the dulcet tones of John Denver and thousands of Mountaineer fans.
That’s what the College World Series is about. That’s what sports is about. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to watch some more soccer.
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Featured image via Chapel Hill Media Group/Michael Koh
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