Vanderbilt win good for Price, bad for Holaday
NEW YORK -- The jersey hung limply from Bryan Holaday's locker. It fit just so, nestled next to his gray Tigers top but proudly displayed in front of it. A deep-purple No. 16 and arched "Horned Frogs" stood out against the off-white fabric.
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Camera phone in hand, Holaday stepped back to examine his handiwork. He clicked off a quick reel of photos, scrolled through to find the best one and posted it to Twitter.
"#GoFrogs," Holaday wrote. "@DAVIDprice14 don't back a horned frog into a corner"
From the other side of the clubhouse, David Price tapped out his response.
"You did it to yourself..#VU"
Holaday spent three seasons at Texas Christian University, Price three at Vanderbilt. While the two Tigers prepped for a three-game series against the Yankees in the Bronx on Friday, their alma maters were 1,200 miles away, ready to square off in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
TCU and Vanderbilt had already played in the College World Series on Tuesday, with Vanderbilt taking a 1-0 win. That left Holaday wearing a gold Vanderbilt T-shirt for the next three days.
This time, the wager was the same, but Holaday was convinced the result would be different. He had history on his side.
Five years ago to the day, he started at catcher in TCU's College World Series debut. He collected three hits, including a home run, in an 8-1 win against Florida State. Holaday found a tweet about it and paraded over to Price's locker.
"You see that?" Holaday said. "Five years ago, today. Meant to be."
Price just shook his head. "Yeah, it's doable. Like Everest. Without shoes. They've got to beat the No. 24 pick in the Draft, and then the No. 8 pick in the Draft. But maybe."
As the Tigers took the dugout in Yankee Stadium on Friday, their alma maters got started in Omaha. Once their duties were done, Holaday and Price headed back to the clubhouse to check the score.
Bad news for Holaday. Defending national champion Vanderbilt -- and Price -- won, 7-1.
"He'll be wearing that Vandy shirt tomorrow," Price said. "He'll be sporting it tomorrow."
On Saturday, Holaday stepped into the clubhouse and silently sidled to his locker. A golden 'V' spread across the chest of his black T-shirt.
"Oh, the V!" Price said with a clap. "Yeah, yeah. That's perfect."