World Series 2019: Here's where the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals played college baseball

The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals will play in the 2019 World Series. Between the two MLB teams' active rosters, 30 players once suited up for NCAA programs.

Overall, 162 former NCAA student-athletes, 107 NCAA institutions, 27 DI conferences and three divisions were represented by this year's 10 original MLB playoff teams. Below, we highlight every former college baseball player listed on each of the teams' active rosters to close out the regular season on Sept. 29. 

POSTSEASON HEROES: Players who have won a College World Series and an MLB World Series

First, here are some general notes:

• Each MLB playoff team had at least a dozen former college baseball players on its active roster at the end of regular season play. The Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis Cardinals tied for the most with 19; the AL pennant-winning Houston Astros had the least with 12.
• Of the 27 DI conferences represented at the start of the postseason, the SEC had the most former student-athletes with 33. The next most belonged to the ACC (20), Pac-12 (13) and Big West (12).
• Sixteen former student-athletes played at current DII institutions and two came from current DIII schools.
• Cal State Fullerton led all NCAA schools on the list with six representatives. Fifteen other schools have at least three: Florida (four), Louisville (four), LSU (four), Virginia (four), California (three), Dallas Baptist (three), Maryland (three), Mississippi (three), Mississippi State (three), Missouri (three), Oklahoma (three), Old Dominion (three), South Carolina (three), Texas A&M (three) and Vanderbilt (three).
• LSU is the most represented school in the World Series matchup, with three former players: Andrew Stevenson of the Washington Nationals, and Alex Bregman and Will Harris of the Houston Astros.

Here is a breakdown of former college baseball players by team. Listed below the two World Series rosters are the eight teams previously eliminated in the playoffs. Positions and colleges were taken from at the end of regular season play on Sept. 29.

The 2019 World Series runs from Tuesday, Oct. 22 to Wednesday Oct. 30, if necessary.

*Players cut from postseason rosters for each round will be noted with an asterisk.

ALL-STARS IN COLLEGE: Where the 2019 MLB All-Stars went to school

2019 WORLD SERIES ROSTERS: HOUSTON ASTROS VS. WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros have 12 former college baseball players on its roster, including seven who are active for the World Series.

Gerrit Cole (UCLA) and Justin Verlander (Old Dominion) are both top contenders for the 2019 AL Cy Young Award. They also both happen to be in the Astros' starting rotation. Cole ended his Bruins tenure ranked second in career strikeouts in UCLA history with 376. Verlander is No. 1 on ODU's strikeout list with 427.

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was a star shortstop at LSU, garnering recognition as a 2015 first-team All-American and Golden Spikes finalist. He led the Tigers to a 2015 College World Series appearance.

*Not on World Series 25-man roster

BRINGING SERIOUS HEAT: 22 college baseball flamethrowers who topped 96 this summer

Washington Nationals

San Diego State Athletics

Eighteen former NCAA student-athletes are on the Washington Nationals' roster, including 13 who are active for the World Series.

Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman were teammates at Virginia for one season in 2005 when the Cavaliers made a run to NCAA regionals. Zimmerman played in 174 games over three years at UVA (2003-05), finishing with 140 RBIs, 128 runs and 63 extra-base hits. Doolittle (2005-07), a two-way player, was ACC Player of the Year in 2006 and finished with 22 victories on the mound and 22 homers at the plate.

Stephen Strasburg was a two-time All-American pitcher at San Diego State and set the school record with a 1.59 career ERA. He was the No. 1 overall pick in 2009.

*Not on World Series 25-man roster

ELIMINATED 2019 MLB PLAYOFF TEAMS:

Milwaukee Brewers

UC Irvine Athletics

Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff was a star in last year's postseason run, which included hitting an unlikely home run off Clayton Kershaw. Woodruff spent three years at Mississippi State, appearing in 34 games and three NCAA regionals. 

Rookie second baseman Keston Hiura won the NCAA batting title in 2017, hitting a whopping .442 with a .567 on-base percentage at UC Irvine. He was selected ninth overall in the 2017 MLB Draft and has 19 homers in just 84 games as a Brewer.

*Was not on NL Wild Card Game 25-man roster

Oakland Athletics

Cal State Fullerton Athletics

Matt Chapman, a 2018 Gold Glove winner and 2019 MLB All-Star, hit .312 with 24 extra-base hits his junior season at Cal State Fullerton before being selected 25th overall in 2014. He finished his Titans career with two All-Big West team honors and an ABCA Gold Glove Award.

Lefty Sean Manaea was a three-year standout at Indiana State and closed out his collegiate career with 290 strikeouts, third most in ISU history. 

*Was not on AL Wild Card Game 25-man roster

Minnesota Twins

Utah Athletics

Twins first baseman C.J. Cron was Utah's first first-round pick in program history (2011 MLB Draft). Cron was a two-time Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist and was twice named Mountain West Conference Player of the Year. 

Catcher Mitch Garver was also a MWC standout, playing at New Mexico from 2010-13. He batted .390 with 21 doubles, five triples and six home runs as a senior in 2013.

*Was not on ALDS 25-man roster

Atlanta Braves

Steven Branscombe | USA TODAY Sports

Like LA's Buehler, Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson was a huge part of Vanderbilt's run to the 2014 College World Series title. Swanson was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player with a .323 average, three doubles and five runs in Omaha. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015 after three seasons at Vandy.

Josh Donaldson was a catcher, along with third base, back in his playing days at Auburn (2005-07). As a sophomore, he led the Tigers with 10 homers while throwing out 15 of 38 attempted base stealers at catcher.

*Was not on NLDS 25-man roster

Los Angeles Dodgers

Virginia Athletics

Walker Buehler was a 2014 College World Series champion at Vanderbilt as a sophomore. The righty earned one win in Omaha during the run, no-hitting UC Irvine in 5.1 shutout innings. 

Chris Taylor (Virginia) and Justin Turner (Cal State Fullerton) were named co-NLCS MVPs in 2017, the first of two straight pennants won by the Dodgers. Taylor had a .400 career batting average in NCAA tournament games, including a walk-off single in 2011 Super Regionals to send the Cavs to the CWS. From 2003-06, Turner was a key cog in the Titans' lineup, finishing with a .328 career average.   

*Was not on NLDS 25-man roster

Tampa Bay Rays

Old Dominion Athletics

Mike Zunino's 2010-12 run at Florida was littered with accolades, including two first-team All-American selections, a Dick Howser Trophy, a Johnny Bench Award and an SEC Player of the Year honor. The catcher hit .327 with 47 homers and 175 RBIs in 193 games as a Gator.

Ryan Yarbrough is one of three Old Dominion Monarchs on playoff teams, and the most recent to come out of college. The southpaw was 10-11 with a 3.89 ERA and a save from 2013-14 at ODU.

*Was not on ALDS 25-man roster

St. Louis Cardinals

Illinois State Athletics

Paul Goldschmidt slugged 36 home runs and drove in 170 RBIs in three years at Texas State, both program records. Thirty-five of those homers came in his latter two seasons. In 2015, Goldschmidt became the first former Texas State baseball player to have his number retired.

First-time 2019 MLB All-Star Paul DeJong was a fixture all around the diamond for Illinois State from 2013-15. The Cardinals shortstop split time at shortstop, second base, third base, catcher and right field after redshirting his 2012 freshman season. In 2014, he led the MVC with 14 homers.

*Was not on NLCS 25-man roster

New York Yankees

Fresno State Athletics

Aaron Judge has won both a college and Major League Home Run Derby. Five years before his victory at the 2017 MLB All-Star Game in Miami, Judge won the 2012 TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby in Omaha as a member of Fresno State. He was a two-time All-WAC first-teamer before the Yankees drafted him in 2013.

DJ LeMahieu was named a starter as a true freshman in 2008 and batted .344 in two seasons with LSU. The three-time MLB All-Star was a member of the 2009 College World Series All-Tournament Team after leading the Tigers to the program's sixth national championship.

*Was not on ALCS 25-man roster