CWS 2024: Best dugout celebrations of the College World Series explained
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - The College World Series features the best competition in the country—and the best dugout celebrations.
They vary from simple, to over the top, to just plain weird. It’s part of what makes college baseball fun! We talked with CWS players about their teams’ favorite celebratory traditions.
Virginia – Big hat
You can’t miss Virginia’s celebration. Their oversized baseball cap was the brainchild of the Cavaliers star shortstop Griff O’Ferrall.
“I thought it looked goofy and funny and so we just ordered one. It’s just good vibes in the dugout.”
NC State – Hockey gear
When NC State gets a home run on the board, the Wolf Pack convert the dugout into a hockey rink, complete with a hockey stick and helmet.
“A lot of guys in the dugout love the [Carolina Hurricanes],” Wolfpack utility man Eli Serrano III said. “They gave us a helmet and a stick and we’ve just rolled with it ever since. You get sick pictures from it. The pictures are fire, so I enjoy that.”
Kentucky – ...Everything
It’s hard to keep track of all of Kentucky’s antics. Pink hats, sky-high hat stacks, Spider-Man meme poses, giant bubble gum bubbles—you name it. It’s no wonder why the Wildcats rallying cry is “Get Weird.”
“We just try to do crazy things in the dugout and have our players on the field know we’re behind them and we’re supporting them,” said Eli Small, a Kentucky freshman and Elkhorn South alum. “It’s been great for us all year.”
“It just brings more fun to the fans and to us,” designated hitter Nick Lopez said through his famed handlebar moustache. “It’s honestly benefitted us a lot this year.”
Tennessee – Faux fur
But the most stylish celebration hails from Knoxville. A Tennessee player that hits a home run earns the right to wear a faux fur when they reach the dugout.
“You hit balls far, you get to wear cool coats and wear the pimp coat,” said Dalton Bargo, Tennessee’s utility man and Omaha native. “It’s just kind of our thing now.”
UT players were quick to credit former catcher/outfielder Evan Russell with coming up with concept. Russell last played for Tennessee in 2022.
“That coat has never been washed in it’s lifetime,” Vols outfielder Reese Chapman admitted. “It’s got a lot of grit, it’s very gritty and it smells horribly.”
That fur might be ripe when it’s 95 degrees outside and humid, but Chapman said it never feels cooler, than wearing it after hitting a home run in the College World Series.
Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.
