WASHINGTON D.C. -- While the Seattle Mariners visiting the Washington Nationals this weekend is certainly the main focus of the 37-34 M's, there is important baseball being played elsewhere around the United States: 

The College World Series began on Friday afternoon in Omaha, Neb., pitting the eight best college teams against each other for the right to hoist the national championship trophy.

In 2025, M's prospect Kade Anderson helped lead LSU to the national title - also getting the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. 

But did you know that there are other M's players with connections to the College World Series?

Rob Refsnyder, M's DH/OF also won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 2012 as his Arizona Wildcats won the national championship. He hit .476 with two home runs during his stay in Omaha. 

Emerson Hancock and his Georgia Bulldogs never reached Omaha in his tenure, falling short in the regionals twice, but Georgia is back in the event this year. They'll play Saturday night (5 p.m. PT) against Texas.

Mariners Roundtable caught up with both players this weekend to talk about their memories.

Yeah, ​it ​was ​cool. ​It's ​really ​cool. ​Happy ​for ​the ​program, ​happy ​for ​the ​team. ​It's ​a ​fun ​team ​to ​watch. ​And ​I ​know ​the ​fan ​base, ​that's ​something ​that ​they've ​wanted ​for ​a ​long ​time. ​And ​I ​think ​seeing ​the ​environment, ​seeing ​what ​it ​was ​last ​weekend, ​just ​speaks ​volumes ​to ​the ​passion ​the ​fan ​base ​has. ​And ​now ​they ​get ​to ​go ​out ​there, ​just ​enjoy ​it ​and ​compete.

I ​mean, ​it's ​not ​really ​a ​regret. ​It's ​just ​one ​of ​those ​things ​that ​just ​didn't ​happen ​for ​us. ​For ​whatever ​reason, it ​just ​wasn't ​meant ​to ​be ​those ​first ​two ​years. ​And ​even ​in ​'20. ​You ​know, ​it ​felt ​like ​we ​had ​a ​really ​good ​team, ​and ​it ​just ​didn't ​happen. ​But, yeah ​I ​think, ​it ​was ​something ​that ​you ​always, you ​dream ​of ​when ​you're ​a ​kid, ​you're ​watching ​guys ​on ​it. ​To ​be ​on ​that ​stage ​would've ​been ​really ​cool, ​but ​maybe ​it ​just ​wasn't ​meant ​to ​be ​for ​us.

​And ​I ​think ​that's ​what ​all ​the ​guys ​from ​that ​season, we ​talk ​about ​a ​lot ​is, ​we ​had ​a ​really ​good ​group ​and ​really ​good ​bunch ​of ​players. ​We ​had ​some ​guys ​that ​had ​kind ​of ​came ​back ​hoping ​to ​get ​another ​opportunity ​to ​go ​out ​and ​do ​that. ​And ​we ​don't ​know ​how ​it ​was ​going ​to ​play ​out, ​but ​we ​definitely ​knew ​we're ​going ​to ​go ​out ​there ​and ​give ​it ​our ​all, ​and ​it ​just ​didn't ​happen.

It's definitely ​up ​there. ​It's ​different, ​amateur, ​professional, ​but ​it's ​cool, like ​you're, ​you're ​all ​in ​very ​similar ​stages ​of ​your ​life, ​you ​kind ​of ​meet ​those ​guys ​when ​you're ​18, ​19 ​years ​old and ​I ​feel ​like ​you ​kind ​of ​grow ​up ​with ​them ​a ​little ​bit. ​And ​then, ​you ​know, ​a ​couple ​years ​go ​by, ​guys ​get ​married, ​they ​have ​kids. ​So ​it's ​a ​really ​special ​time. ​It's definitely ​something ​I ​look ​back ​​with ​great ​memories.

Yeah, I mean, my wife, my girlfriend at the time, she was at University of Arizona. She was swimming in the Olympic trials, and it was also in Omaha, at the same time. So that was pretty cool.

Cool memory that we were both staying at the same team motel, or the same motel. My parents, my future in-laws, spent some time together, so a lot of great memories.

The city really comes together for the event. It's really special. A lot of people just kind of fly in and enjoy the event. It's very wholesome, fans are all very excited.

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