Oregon State was crowned the champion at the 2018 College World Series after defeating Arkansas, 5-0 in Game 3 on Thursday night.
It was certainly another exciting year in Omaha. We had lots of rain, amazing games, talented athletes and memorable moments.
Here are some of our favorite stories from the 2018 College World Series.
1. Meet meteorologist Marty McKewon, the busiest person in Omaha at the 2018 College World Series
So... there was some rain in Omaha this year. The finals were pushed back a day due to weather and we even had one four-hour rain delay. This lead to one person in Omaha working very hard. As krikya18.com's Mike Lopresti writes, "The busiest guy at the College World Series Monday isn’t in the lineup. He won’t hit, pitch or go in to play shortstop. He’s sitting in a room near the third base dugout – the bunker, they call it – peering at monitors." That guy would be Marty McKewon, the official meteorologist for the College World Series.
It will be hard to look back at Oregon State's national championship without mentioning the epic Game 2 the Beavers had in the 2018 finals. krikya18.com's Andy Wittry highlighted how the bunt was the Beavers' weakness, then strength in the very end, to force a decisive Game 3. We break down the good, the bad and the ugly of the Beavers' bunting.
3. The story behind North Carolina's WWE-style ‘DOSE belt’ at the 2018 College World Series
If you caught any of North Carolina's games, you may have wondered what that strange WWE-style belt was doing hanging in their dugout. Well that, my friends, is the DOSE belt. The belt is given to anyone who gets hit by a pitch, as a badge of honor. There's even a scoring system. Check out more in the video below.
The Bulldogs went bananas during the postseason. Literally! The rally banana became a staple of Mississippi State's baseball team; you could find them in the dugout, fans dressed as the fruit, and even getting social media love from the .
On the topic of food, we must recognize all the concessions at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. Take a look at all there is to offer -- including some dishes that might make you ponder their purpose.
6. Behind the scenes of how baseball are prepared at TD Ameritrade Park
Have you ever wondered about the where and how when it comes to the College World Series crew preparing for all these games? And what about all the baseballs? krikya18.com's Andy Wittry gives inside access, touring the secret storage room to find out more. There were more than 2,000 baseballs available -- and that's not counting practice balls.
7. Cancer, Tommy John surgery never stopped Texas Tech’s Dylan Dusek
Texas Tech pitcher Dylan Dusek has faced adversity, not only on the mound, but throughout the course of his life. He battled cancer, endured Tommy John surgery, and still made his way to Omaha with the Red Raiders. Check out more about his inspirational story in the video below.
8. These players went from playing together in Little League to facing off in Omaha
Washington's Joe DeMers, Willie MacIver, and Oregon State's Trevor Larnach played together through Little League and high school before reaching Omaha this year, where the friends faced off on college baseball's biggest stage.
Entering the 2018 College World Series, there had only been one grand slam in the last seven years of the CWS. Mississippi State's Jordan Westburg added another when he recorded a grand slam against North Carolina in an elimination game. We break down the history of each grand slam.
Mid 2 | Jordan Westburg uses the power of potassium to give us a 4-1 lead!! |
— MSU Baseball (@HailStateBB)
