Kansas City and Detroit will play the third game of their three-game series tonight in Omaha, just two days before the 2019 College World Series begins. That's right — two Major League teams are playing at TD Ameritrade Park. Here's how to watch the game and the College World Series connections to the first-ever Major League Baseball game played in Nebraska.
Tigers (24-39)-Royals (21-45) Omaha matchup: game time, TV channel
Detroit and Kansas City play at 8 Eastern tonight, June 13, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. The game will be televised on ESPN and streamed here on WatchESPN.
Why are they playing a game in Omaha?
Major League Baseball announced the game last June. You can read the official announcement here. According to MLB, the game "will follow other recent special events that have brought regular season play to non-traditional locales." It's a natural fit to play right before the College World Series with so many baseball fans in town. Plus, MLB pointed out the Royals and the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers "share the game's longest relationship between a Major League Club and its Triple-A affiliate ... since its franchise inception in 1969."
TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT! @MLB plays its first game in #Omaha tonight @tdameritradeprk when local favorite @Royals take on the @tigers! The weather looks great, with lots of sunshine, low humidity, and temperatures in the mid 70s! #MLBinOmaha pic.twitter.com/Jwn1f8GElf
— Mark Stitz (@MarkStitz) June 13, 2019
Former CWS participants playing for the Tigers
Here are the players from each team who also played in the College World Series:
Matthew Boyd: The former Oregon State pitcher will start for Detroit in Omaha at the same ballpark where he tossed a gem against Indiana in a CWS elimination game six years ago. Boyd only allotted four hits to the Hoosiers on his way to a memorable complete-game shutout. The lefty takes a 5-4 record with a 3.08 ERA into Thursday night for the Tigers.
Gordon Beckham: The shortstop is no stranger to the CWS. Making college baseball’s greatest stage twice with Georgia, Beckham led his team to the championship in 2008 where the Bulldogs fell to Fresno State. But the former standout has never played at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha which opened in 2011.
JaCoby Jones: The LSU infielder made it to the CWS as a junior with the Tigers in 2013. That season, Jones batted .294 in 59 games.
MORE: With the MLB on its way to Omaha meet the inside man at TD Ameritrade Park
Nick Ramirez: He played first base and pitched with Cal State Fullerton. In 2009 as a freshman, Ramirez helped the Titans to a CWS appearance. He's now a left-handed reliever with Detroit.
John Hicks: The 29-year-old Hicks played three years at Virginia and made the CWS in 2009 and 2011. So he’s playing on familiar grounds as the only player to hit a home run at both the old Rosenblatt Stadium and TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
Brandon Dixon: Dixon won the CWS and scored the title-winning run for the Arizona Wildcats in 2012,
Grayson Greiner: As freshman, former South Carolina catcher Grayson Greiner actually lost to Dixon, his current Tigers teammate, in the 2012 CWS championship.
Ron Gardenhire: The Detroit manager played in the 1979 College World Series as an infielder with the Texas Longhorns.
Former CWS participants playing for the Royals
Whit Merrifield: The Royals second baseman had one of the biggest moments of his baseball career in the 2010 CWS with South Carolina. He belted the game-winning hit and gave the Gamecocks their first championship. That went down as the final College World Series hit ever at Rosenblatt Stadium.
Alex Gordon: One of the best college baseball players of all time, Gordon led Nebraska to its third CWS in 2005 while batting .372. The former third baseman won the Golden Spikes Award, Dick Howser Trophy and the Brooks Wallace Award his junior year.
2019 CWS participants drafted by the Tigers and Royals
Here are the players in the 2019 College World Series who were selected in the draft by the Tigers and the Royals.
Detroit
- Jack Kenley, Arkansas, SS: 8th round, Pick 232
- Jacob Kostyshock, Arkansas, RHP: 8th round, Pick 249
- John McMillon, Texas Tech, OF: 11th round, Pick 322
- Jimmy Kerr, Michigan, 3B: 33rd round, Pick 982
Kansas City
- Drew Parrish, Florida State, LHP: 8th round, Pick 229
- A.J. Franklin, Vanderbilt, LHP: 17th round, Pick 499
- Elliott Anderson, Auburn, LHP: 23rd round, Pick 679
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