#3900. Go to the D3 College World Series

Ever since I moved up here 13 years ago, I wanted to go to the D3 College World Series since it's played at Fox Cities Stadium. Every year the hubby said we'd go but would always end up busy and we'd never go. Now that the D3 World Series is leaving in 2019, I pretty much demanded we go this year. Luckily he had an early, close game tonight and it made more sense to stay in town than drive to the Brewers game.

The D3 College World Series features 8 teams -- the winners of the respective regional. Some years we get lucky and a Wisconsin team made it. This year was not Wisconsin's year and no local team made it. The closest teams were North Central College and Concordia University of Chicago both from the Chicago area. The other teams that made it were Washington & Jefferson (PA), Cal Lutheran University (CA), Roanoke College (VA), Wheaton College (MA), SUNY -- Oswego (NY), University of Massachusetts Boston (MA).

We got there and it was in the middle of the 3rd game -- North Central vs. UMass Boston. North Central beat UMass. The tournament is double elimination so no one went home quite yet as this was Day 1. We stuck around for part of the next game which was Cal Lutheran vs. Wheaton College. Cal Lutheran became my favorite team of the ones I saw. 

The hubby informed me he doesn't like college baseball because like college softball the game is usually not played between the lines but in the dugouts. It's all mind games between coaches. Honestly I didn't find it to be all that exciting. Because they were using flat seamed baseballs (I think -- it's opposite of whatever the majors use) and metal bats, the balls didn't carry very far. We didn't see a home run at all. Pitching wasn't bad but it didn't stand out to me. I don't recall much of the games themselves -- nothing really stood out to make it memorable. Oh wait there was a slide into second were the guy slide and landed on his butt. I kind of wish I had a picture of that -- I know one exists since the photographer I know said he got it.

Of course the hubby was more concerned with the umpires than the actual game. There was not a Wisconsin umpire among the crew. The hubby would loved to have grilled the UIC for a while. He did have to laugh that when the umps were not on the field, they were in shirt and tie in one of the boxes. According to one of the photographers we know, there also was an umpire in training there watching and learning. 

Don't get me wrong, it's a great experience to see young talent play in your home town. If I actually spent, more time out at the ball park, there's always the chance to talk to the players and get to know them. Between games we were talking to some people and they said they've been doing this for years and it's nice when you have repeat teams from previous years so you can see players from year to year.

I am sad that the tournament is leaving and wish I came out sooner. Maybe we will just have take a baseball road trip to Cedar Rapids some year and watch the World Series again. There's plenty of minor league action in that part of the world...