Report: Local health department to review updated COVID policies for College World Series
By Keith Farner
Published:
COVID-19 issues within the N.C. State baseball program may have a lingering effect on the College World Series, in Omaha especially in relation to Vanderbilt.
The Douglas County Health Department will determine between now and Sunday which members of the Vanderbilt traveling party will be required to undergo routine COVID-19 testing — all, or just potentially unvaccinated members, according to a report from Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball.
Earlier Saturday, Vanderbilt advanced because of a no-contest game with N.C. State, and therefore will play in the CWS Finals. The Wolfpack had just 13 players eligible out of 27 Friday because of “COVID-19 health and safety protocols.” The Commodores beat the Wolfpack 3-1 behind Kumar Rocker’s gem after the game was initially delayed an hour after the NCAA said it needed time to complete “health and safety protocols.” State said “several players” had entered the COVID-19 protocol.
“This decision was made based on the recommendation of the Championship Medical Team and the Douglas County Health Department,” the NCAA said in a statement. “As a result, Vanderbilt will advance to the CWS Finals. “The NCAA and the committee regret that NC State’s student-athletes and coaching staff will not be able to continue in the championship in which they earned the right to participate. Because of privacy issues, we cannot provide further details.”
Testing policies aside, Vanderbilt is scheduled to face the winner of Mississippi State-Texas in the College World Series Final Series on Monday. The Longhorns and Bulldogs are set to play Saturday night. That series will be the best 2-out-of-3. The Commodores won the 2019 CWS. There was no tournament last year because of the pandemic.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
