Uncrustables could be the food of champions

The GIST: The Men’s College World Series (MCWS) finals are all tied up after the No. 1–seed Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies each tallied a win in this weekend’s best-of-three championship series.

• With both teams seeking their first-ever natty, it all comes down to tonight’s championship-deciding Game 3. History awaits.

Aggies capitalize to steal Game 1: Outfielder Gavin Grahovac’s leadoff homer gave his Aggies a picture-perfect start before a five-run third inning cemented Saturday’s 9–5 upset win. Three costly errors from the Vols also helped boost A&M to victory.

Vols hold off late rally to even series: Fueled by Uncrustables, catcher Cal Stark ended his hitting slump by blasting a two-run homer that gave Tennessee a solid eighth-inning lead in yesterday’s Game 2. And while the Aggies brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, the Vols slammed the door shut to extend their season with the 4–1 dub. No hardware-hoisting yet.

What’s next: A winner-takes-all Game 3, of course, where Tennessee could be the underdog. Not only will the Vols need to overcome one of college sports’ most notorious curses, the Aggies have history on their side: Game 1 winners have taken 13 of the 20 titles awarded since the championship became a three-game series.

• Will Rocky Top’s big bats snag glory? Or will the peaking-at-the-perfect-time Aggies rebound from their first MCWS loss to clinch the ’ship? Pop that corn, then tune into ESPN at 7 p.m. ET tonight to find out.

The GIST: With the MCWS nearly done and dusted, college baseball’s best are now eyeing the July 14th MLB Draft. Though the draft includes many high school and international athletes, the NCAA is a proven training ground for tomorrow’s big-leaguers.

The process: During the draft, pro teams select a whopping 614 athletes across 20 rounds. Since 1965, only 23 draftees have gone straight to MLB, with everyone else (hopefully) working their way up through the minor leagues — though that’s much easier said than done.

• Only about 47% of all MLBers played NCAA ball. But data shows that college athletes are generally drafted earlier, spend fewer years in the minors, and are more likely to eventually make the Show.

The pipeline: During last year’s draft, 444 college players — about 5.1% of all draft-eligible NCAA athletes — were called up. Nearly all (428) were Division I (DI) players, and those in the pool from Power Five schools had a 43.1% chance of an MLB level-up.

• Again, being drafted doesn’t guarantee they’ll square off against MLB superstars like Shohei Ohtani anytime soon (though it could happen), but developing in the NCAA clearly provides a major (league) leg up.

The names: This year’s draft class is led by Georgia’s new Golden Spikes winner (college baseball’s MVP award) Charlie Condon. The Bulldog third baseman was unstoppable at the plate this season, earning him the coveted honor that has a history of selecting future MLB stars.

• Condon and fellow Golden Spikes finalist Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) are the athletes most likely to hear their names first on July 14th, but Florida legend Jac Caglianone is also in the No. 1–pick mix.

• Another expected first-rounder? Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore, who boasts a nation-leading 110 hits on the season. Today, Omaha, NE — tomorrow, Cooperstown, NY.

The GIST: Like many women’s sports, softball’s professional history is messy, but now, one innovative league is bringing stability to the game. Here’s everything you need to know about the top diamond destination for the NCAA’s best: Athletes Unlimited (AU).

The process: AU actually offers three pro softball leagues under one umbrella: AUX, AU Pro Softball, and the nascent AUSL, which launches next summer. AUX’s hyper-compact, three-week season kicks off the summer with 42 players before AU Pro Softball’s five-week stint (aka the Championship series) brings 60 athletes to the plate. Some softballers play in both, while others stick to just one league.

• For college players who have exhausted their NCAA eligibility, the AU journey begins with April’s draft. This year, 15 2024 grads were selected, but the draft isn’t the only way into AU: Undrafted rookies can also receive pro contracts.

The pipeline: This college-to-pro pipeline is strong: Every single rostered AU player came up through the NCAA, and many moonlight as college assistant coaches in the offseason.

• That said, a college softball player’s chances of going pro in the U.S. are even smaller than many other sports: This season, there are just 61 players between AUX and the Championship series.

• Even if those 61 were only from the current NCAA rosters, that would equate to just 0.01% of the over 6K DI ballplayers.

The names: With those slim odds, it’s no surprise that the 2024 rookies are the best of the best — and are already impressing as pros. In her first AUX season, undrafted Clemson grad McKenzie Clark made an impact right off the, ahem, bat, playing well enough to be named a captain for Series 2.

• And Tigers fans are even more excited for the Championship series, where Clark’s college teammate Valerie Cagle — the 2023 Player of the Year and 2024’s No. 1 AU draft pick — will step into the circle to toss her first pro pitch. Can’t wait.