College baseball is less well-known by many people than college football, or college basketball is. The main reason for this is believed to be because the sport is mostly played in the summer, between college semesters! This is a shame because the sport has a long and storied history, a vibrant community, and a huge amount of underappreciated talent.
But how did college baseball get to where it is now? This article will explore college baseball’s history, from its inception to the modern-day.
The Origins of Baseball
The sport of baseball can be traced back to the early 19th Century. A similar game called “rounders” existed in England before that, but in America, the game began to develop and evolve into what is now modern baseball. Some credit Alexander Joy Cartwright with inventing the sport of baseball, but this is disputed. The game is believed to have evolved gradually, although Cartwright and other New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club members developed and wrote down the rules that stand to this day.
The first recorded game took place in 1846 between the Knickerbockers and the New York Baseball Club in New Jersey. The first organized league, the National Association of Baseball Players, was founded in 1858 and later became the organization now known as Major League Baseball.
How College Baseball Started
In Massachusetts, in 1859, a team from Amherst College played against a team from Williams College. Amherst beat Williams 73-32. Although other games took place over the next few decades, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) did not appear until 1905. Although the NCAA started out regulating college football, eventually, college baseball became a sport recognized by the body.
The NCAA College World Series
The NCAA College World Series tournament started in 1950. Since then, it has taken place every year in Omaha, Nebraska.
The NCAA Division II and III Championships
In 1968, the NCAA Division II championships started and were held in Illinois, California, and Alabama (where they have taken place ever since 1985). More recently, Wisconsin has seen the emergence of the Division III championships.
Rise in Popularity
NCAA baseball suddenly became significantly more popular in the 1980s due to population increases around colleges in the South and the South-West US. Although college baseball’s popularity rose sharply, it has still not received the national recognition that college football and college basketball have.
However, the NCAA has still been able to grow the sport significantly. Budgets have increased for stadiums, staff, equipment, and training programs. This has attracted more talent and more press coverage to college baseball. These days, you can see the NCAA College World Series on ESPN and place bets with Unibet TV!
The Future of College Baseball
Predicting the future of any sport is difficult. Who knows what events may happen to affect the popularity of a pastime? However, if the trend of increasing popularity continues, it seems likely that college baseball will become just as widely valued an American tradition as college football and college basketball are.
