To have and to hold…and the question of how much NIL money will it take to recruit, develop, and maintain a college baseball roster in the future. And does education even matter, anymore? (Press Pros File Photos)
It would appear that this year’s College World Series might be dominated by schools who’ve spent heavily on their roster, even those out-of-the-way schools like Coastal Carolina and Murray State. Which leaves the question…what chance does anyone have in the future if you don’t?
During Sunday’s telecast of the Tennessee-Arkansas super-regional game, one of the commentators was want to dwell on the impact of NIL and this year’s College World Series.
And in fact, heavy hitters like LSU, Arkansas, Arizona, Louisville, Duke and UCLA are in the field, predictably. In fact, the two surprise teams not there is the defending champ, Tennessee, and 2019 champion Vanderbilt (the #1 overall seed) who were both knocked out in the super-regional and regional round, respectively. And both are said to be among the most creative in finding financial sponsors for its baseball players.
But during his commentary analyst Kyle Peterson also made the point that it’s not necessary to spend big on NIL to make the Final Eight, apparently, considering the ascension of lesser-known schools like Coastal Carolina, and Murray State who played Duke Monday night for the eighth and final berth. Coastal Carolina actually won the CWS back in 2016, and Murray State would be making its first appearance as a member of the Missoui Valley Conference, and with an impressive record of 42-14.
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UCLA, if you think of it in Big Ten terms, is the only Big Ten team at the tournament, having beaten tiny University of Texas-San Antonio (enrollment 34,000), on Sunday in the deciding game of the super-regional hosted by UCLA.
Peterson should have checked his math more earnestly. Coastal Carolina, according to most sources, is the most lucratively endowed baseball NIL school in the Sun Belt Conference.
However, it’s hard to believe that in a football and baseball-crazy state like Texas there’s much in the way of NIL left for a school like Texas-San Antonio who has to compete with Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, SMU, Baylor, and Texas Tech. But hey, they finished with a record of 47-15 and knocked Texas, itself, out of the tournament with back-to-back regional wins.
But Murray State, according to online sources, is known for its robust NIL initiatives, having raised a total of $21.4 million dollars in 2024 (NIL and donations), alone, and is said to more generously share that loot to ensure the competitiveness of its baseball program. In fact, the Racers are known throughout the nation as a leader (proportionate to size) in fund-raising initiatives.
So, that said, how is it that Murray State can raise that kind of money with a priority for baseball, and Big Ten schools like Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Rutgers cannot?
“Baseball’s always been a campus priority at Murray State,” a friend and graduate from nearby Nashville told me over the weekend. “Even when I played there during the Ohio Valley Conference days, baseball had immense popularity with administration, students and alumni.”
This, despite the fact that Murray State has had only one significant baseball alum with big league time…former Atlanta Braves pitcher Pat Jarvis, who spent eight seasons with Atlanta and Montreal.
Former OSU shortstop has entered the transfer portal and is leaving South Carolina after just one season. He hit .315 with 6 homers and 28 RBIs. (File Photos)
Coastal Carolina, similarly, is thought of as being the richest NIL school in the baseball-crazy Sun Belt Conference, and is said to be generously endowed despite only a handful that have played in the Major Leagues. Current Cubs infielder Tommy LaStella is probably the most recognized.
But my friend’s comment about priority should not be taken lightly. By contrast, there is no football profile at Murray State and Coastal Carolina as compared with Michigan or Ohio State…Arkansas or LSU. So $21 million does a lot more for baseball at Murray State than $30 million does for baseball at a Big Ten School. And chances are it will always be that way.
Peterson also added this, which most of us will appreciate if your head spins over paying a college baseball player $300,000.
“I miss it when kids actually went to school because they liked the school and education was an important factor in why they chose that school.”
Amen.
And reportedly, former Ohio State shortstop Henry Kaczmar has determined that one year at South Carolina is enough. He’s listed as having entered the transfer portal after hitting .315 with 6 home runs and 28 RBIs for the 28-29 Gamecocks (6-24 in SEC).
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Wide-open tournament…..
A contact from upstate called last week to ask if I thought there was a prohibitive favorite to win any of the seven divisions in baseball this weekend in Akron and Canton.
And actually, no, in my opinion, as this will be one of the most wide-open tournaments I can think of since I started going on an annual basis…the most interesting Finals in a decade with some compelling matchups.
Senior Lou Magoto is Minster’s most experienced, and dependable arm in the tournament
Starting with…the closest thing to a favorite in my book, Hamilton Badin (Division III), who I expect to face Wapakoneta in the Division III Finals.
But certainly Minster vs. Russia, from a local standpoint, in the Division VII semi-final Thursday (4 pm, Akron) is the game that everyone wants to see, or hear about.
“They’re pretty close, aren’t they,” he asked.
“About ten minutes apart,” I said.
“No, I mean in talent,” he corrected.
And a game that might be just as good is Coldwater against state #1 in Division V, Waynedale, a two-time champion, Friday at 4 pm at Canal Park, in Akron. Coldwater seeks its eighth all-time baseball title.
There are other good teams, and no doubt there’ll be some exciting games. But those five teams – Badin, Russia, Minster, Coldwater and Wapakoneta – are five that I expect to come with their game face. Licking Valley, Graham, Lynchburg-Clay, Unioto and Indian Hills will have the challenge of having to play beyond their first-game nerves.
By the way, the contact called me back about ten minutes after we hung up.
“Google Maps says that it’s twenty minutes between Russia and Minster,” he said. “Thought you’d like to know.”
Publisher Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA sports and the Buckeyes for Press Pros Magazine.
A sure sign of the Apocalypse…..
While Los Angeles is burning again and the governor and the mayor say it’s mostly peaceful…in the NCAA regional baseball tournament over the weekend Duke University outfielder AJ Gracia hit a home run and was ejected by the umpires for wearing a construction hard hat as he rounded the bases…instead of a batting helmet.
The umpires, in their infinite judgment, threw him out for taunting.
And it’s twenty minutes from Russia to Minster……
Thought you’d like to know.
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