The Coastal Carolina baseball team is back in Omaha, Nebraska, for the first time since their historic national championship win against Arizona in 2016.
Coastal opened its return to the Men’s College World Series with a statement win, taking down Arizona 7-4 Friday afternoon.
“We knew it from day one. We came in, we all sat down as a staff, as a team, and we all looked at each other and we saw what we could do,” redshirt senior pitcher Riley Eikhoff said.
With the win, Coastal advances in the winner’s bracket and will face the Oregon State Beavers on Sunday, June 15, at 7 p.m. EDT.
It’s been a season filled with milestones for the Chants, including a 53-11 record and a staggering 23-game win streak.
With the team’s firing momentum, first-year head coach Kevin Schnall has successfully led Coastal back to the College World Series.
“We walked into Auburn last week and it was vibrant. There was a buzz, there was a feel, there was a smell. And I told them, ‘times that by a hundred,’” Schnall said.
After pitching for Coastal in his own college career, Schnall was welcomed to the Coastal baseball staff in 2001 as an assistant coach.
After 12 years of coaching at CCU and a few seasons spent with the University of Central Florida Knights, Schnall returned to Coastal in 2016 ready to make history. That same season, Schnall stood alongside former head coach Gary Gilmore as Coastal won their first national championship.
Heading back to Omaha, Schnall reflects on the current team compared to the 2016 national champions.
“It’s a lot different- different personalities, different team, you know. But they’ve got the same hunger, they’ve got the same grit, they’ve got the same determination.”
Despite talent, the team remains grounded in character.
“People thought the parody was going away with NIL and different resources paying players. I think it’s clear it’s not about just assembling talented players. It’s about assembling the right team, and that’s what we were able to do this year,” Schnall said.
Schnall notes the importance of coach Gilmore’s influence on his own leadership strategies.
“What coach Gilmore did as the head coach was— I vividly remember as an assistant, he gave us autonomy. And that’s what made me and our staff the best coaches that we could be, and that was the number one thing that I wanted to do,” Schnall said.
Not only are the 2016 players supporting their alma mater, but also their successors.
“We’re going back to Omaha this year, and they’re a big reason for that. That 2016 team is awful special, and it’s awesome that they’re gonna come out there and be a fan,” Schnall said.
The journey is especially significant for veteran players like Eikhoff, who has seen the team come close three times before finally breaking through.
“It’s surreal. As a team we’ve been working at this for four years. We’ve made it to a regional championship the three previous years before this one as well, and to finally get over the hump of the regional… I mean, the emotions were so high,” Eikhoff said. “We’re going into Omaha not to, say, just go for the experience. We’re going there to win it.
That sentiment echoes across the roster. Senior RHP Rylan Lynch, who’s battled through injury and worked his way back into the bullpen rotation, said the team’s confidence is peaking at the right time.
“Coming out of the pen has been really exciting for me, and I’m glad I can help the team this year,” Lynch said. “But super pumped, super excited, I think everyone’s ready for it.”
Senior outfielder Wells Sykes, a South Carolina native who transferred to CCU after three years at The Citadel, said this moment feels like destiny.
“I grew up pulling for Coastal,” Sykes said. “And you know, just watching Coastal as a little kid, it was a dream to watch them win the national championship. And now, here I am, you know, blessed with the opportunity to go do the same thing,” Sykes said.
For Sykes, this is about more than baseball — it’s about team, culture, and commitment.
“…all the practices, all the lifting, all the exercising, all the communication, all the get-togethers that we’ve had as a team — I think that all kind of plays into account in where we are now and how we’ve gotten here,” Sykes said.
When asked about what he’d say to the Chanticleer community, Sykes didn’t hesitate.
“I just want to thank all my teammates. It’s been an honor to play here my last year of college baseball, and I’ve met some of my best friends,” Sykes said. “The Conwave and the Conway community is the best fans in the country, and I can’t thank them enough. And the coaching staff and the support staff around this campus — It’s been one of the most grateful opportunities I’ve ever had.”
With a deep pitching staff, resilient veterans, and a culture rooted in accountability, Coastal Carolina heads into Omaha not as underdogs, but as believers.
“…it’s remarkable what we’ve done,” Schnall said. “But we’re not done yet.”
