Before the College World Series started last weekend, former Huntsville High School baseball coach David Sharp joked that he was going to make a trip out to Omaha if the championship matchup was between Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.
Sharp has a former player on both teams: Javier Vaz with the Commodores and Christian MacLeod with the Bulldogs.
In a group chat, Sharp sent the former teammates a message, letting them both know he was pulling for them.
“Javy texted back and said, ‘C-Mac, I plan on seeing you in the finals,’†Sharp said.
Early Saturday morning, the NCAA declared the “if necessary game†between NC State and Vanderbilt a no-contest due to COVID issues with the Wolfpack program. The unexpected move halted NC State’s improbable run and sent the defending champs back to the CWS Finals.
That night, Mississippi State walked off against Texas to punch their ticket to the title series.
The matchup Sharp had been pulling for had become a reality.
“The biggest thing is that you know that a kid from Huntsville High School’s baseball program is gonna win a national championship,†Sharp said Sunday. “On the flip side of that, when this is over with, one of them’s gonna be really, really happy and the other one’s gonna be dejected.â€
The retired coach said he is excited to watch his guys play “integral roles†in the championship hunt.
“This morning before church, I texted them again and I said, ‘Enjoy it. I’m proud of both of ya. It just makes me so happy to see both of you in the situation you’re in right now.’ And Javy said, ‘I think if you go back a week, I called this.’ So, there’s been a little foreshadowing going on and it’s worked out just like we liked it.â€
To make matters more interesting, Sharp learned Sunday that MacLeod would be starting game one on Monday -- virtually guaranteeing that his guys go eye-to-eye on the diamond in Omaha.
“When that first little encounter happens, it’s gonna be awesome to watch,†Sharp said. “It’ll be something we saw in practice many times.â€
Pulling for both teams, Sharp believes it will be a surreal moment seeing Vaz and MacLeod duel it out for a national championship.
Even though he isn’t technically pulling for anything to happen, Sharp outlined how he might like to see things unfold.
“It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Mississippi State wins game one because MacLeod is on the mound. Let’s say they win six to four, Vaz goes three for three, Mississippi State wins. Game two, Vandy wins and then we’ll set up a game three winner-take-all,†he explained. “That would be a perfect scenario for me.â€
