Omaha to host College Baseball Night of Champions
The event will feature induction of the 2022 class of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame and recognition of the 2022 college baseball award winners
LUBBOCK, Texas – The College Baseball Foundation selected Omaha, Neb., the mecca of college baseball each June, to host the 2022 College Baseball Night of Champions, a celebration highlighted by the induction of this year’s National College Baseball Hall of Fame class.
“We are thrilled to be on the road to Omaha to celebrate the 2022 class of inductees and award winners,” said CBF Board Chairman Craig Ramsey. “Omaha, the home of the College World Series, has special venues and offers new opportunities for us to enhance the experience for our honorees, families and guests and ensure this is one of the most memorable events of their lives. We are very excited to return to a live event and have Omaha host our annual celebration to induct college baseball’s greatest players, coaches and contributors into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.”
The event will take place Friday, Feb. 3, at the Omaha Marriott Downtown, just a few blocks from Charles Schwab Field, the site of the annual College World Series each June. For updates, go to www.collegebaseballfoundation.org.
The gala event features the inductions of the Class of 2022 into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees will join the 129 individuals who have been honored since the inaugural ceremony in 2006.
“Omaha has a rich history associated with college baseball and has played a key role in the growth of the sport,” said Kyle Peterson, president of the Nebraska College Baseball Hall of Fame Foundation. “We are excited to add another chapter to that story by hosting the Night of Champions ceremony. This prestigious event will allow us to demonstrate to the inductees, their families and to the nation why Omaha is the true home of this great game.”
A highlight of the evening is a salute to the national championship teams from all levels of college baseball. The foundation also will present its awards, including the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year, the Brooks Wallace Award, the National Pitcher of the Year and the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year.
“As home of the NCAA Men’s College World Series since 1950, the greater Omaha area has cultivated college baseball’s national championship for nearly 75 years,” said Jack Diesing, Jr., chairman and president of College World Series of Omaha, Inc. “Some of the sport’s greatest student-athletes have proven themselves on ‘The Road to Omaha.’ It’s only fitting that the College Baseball Night of Champions event happen right here in Omaha – the home of ‘The Greatest Show on Dirt!’”
The city of Omaha is synonymous with college baseball, having hosted the College World Series every year since 1950 and has featured numerous members of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, from coaches Cliff Gustafson of Texas, Skip Bertman of LSU and Rod Dedeaux of USC to players such as Sal Bando of Arizona State, Steve Arlin of Ohio State, Dave Winfield of Minnesota and Todd Walker of LSU.
“We look forward to welcoming the College Baseball Night of Champions to Omaha in February 2023,” Omaha mayor Jean Stothert said. “Omaha embodies the history and tradition of college baseball and is uniquely qualified to showcase and celebrate the achievements made in this time-honored sport.”