Obvious answer for most is 2018. One out away from a national championship. Please, someone just catch the foul ball. I get it. (Who doesn’t still think of that play anytime a fly ball is headed to the same area in right field of ANY game you are watching?)
For me, it’s 2021. Not because I’m disappointed that we fell short of expectations. Not because this was THE year for DVH to finally get that trophy. Not because there’s no way Kopps’ season ends like that.
For me, it’s because I now won’t be taking my 13 year-old to Omaha. We (like many of you) now are altering our upcoming plans. I was there in 2018, without him (my brother and I took our dad on Father’s Day. What a memory!). So when my son says, “Dad, will you take me this year if we go?”, plans were immediately in the works.
Oh sure, we could still go, even though the Hogs are at home. But it wouldn’t be the same. Not even close. Especially when you’ve had other experiences with YOUR team. That is exactly why he sat there staring into space for about 30 minutes after Battles made the last out on Sunday. Devastated.
Perhaps it is indeed a close call, but for me……. 2021 definitely stings more.
Easily 2018, I was directly behind home plate watching it. I’ll never get over it, nor the OS fans trash talking. Nebraska figured out how to pitch us, then NCS followed up.
2018 for me too. I was in the right field bleachers. Saw the popfly fall, the single through the infield, and Larnach’s homer into the bullpen below me. I drove straight home from Omaha that night, one because I had to be at work at 4 pm the next afternoon, and two because I knew I wouldn’t get any sleep.
Didn’t get much sleep Sunday night either, but still the hurt is less. We still had to win five more games after Sunday to get the ring. In 2018 we won four of those five and got 26 outs and two strikes of the fifth one.
2018 for me. I was in my house. The pop fly went up, I stood up, arms raised in a V…and very strangely as I saw the three players converge, I could pretty much feel what was about to happen. The life of an Arkansas fan.
I’ve stated elsewhere - 2018
Worse part about that was seeing how that one little play completely changed the demeanor of each team.
As one was shocked back to life the other slowly had the blood sucked right out of them.
Easily 2018 was worse, but since 2021 is still fresh, it’s the one I’m still thinking about. I have no doubt we’ll be in Omaha again–maybe as early as next year. Whether we win it all is another matter. This year was so disappointing because this is the only year where I thought we were clearly the best team in college baseball. I still think that. Unfortunately, it’s that CWS ring that really matters. I just hope TN doesn’t wear it.
Not even remotely close…2018. We were a foul ball being caught away from a National Championship in baseball. If the wind had blown the ball a foot or two or if one of those players who had a chance to catch the ball had broken a step quicker on the foul ball, it is over. I do think Oregon State was a better team, but this Championship could have been ours with just a tiny piece of luck.
This year’s team was great, but I never thought we had the pitching to make a serious run in Omaha. We shall never know, shall we?
2018 for me. I remember that I was on the top row of the lower level (handicapped seating area). When the ball dropped I looked at the guy seated next to me. Neither of us said a word, but I think we knew.
2018, no doubt. They were right there one out away from winning it all. Then THAT happened and changed the course of the rest of the tournament.
Oh so close we were that day.
2018… easily. My dad looked at me and said, well we got one more shot, we will get them tomorrow, but I knew that miss crushed our soul and lifted them out of the pit of thinking they lost to a victory. Giving them the needed momentum and energy to win it all… and they did. 2018 crushed me.