Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber returns to his Hoosier roots on Friday, leading the charge as an honorary captain for Indiana's College Football Playoff showdown with Oregon. Schwarber played baseball at Indiana, leading them to their only College World Series appearance in 2013.
Indiana added some star power to its lineup in a different way for Friday night's College Football Playoff game against Oregon.
Baseball star Kyle Schwarber, who is an All-Star for the Philadelphia Phillis and was a member of Indiana's 2013 College World Series team, has been named the Hoosiers' honorary captain for the Peach Bowl.
Here is the press release from the Peach Bowl:
ATLANTA (Jan. 7, 2026) – In keeping with its tradition of recognizing notable team alumni, officials announced today that Jonathan Stewart and Kyle Schwarber will be honorary captains for their respective alma maters at this year’s CFP Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between No. 5 Oregon and No. 1 Indiana. The two will join the team captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss prior to the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Jan. 9 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Former running back and All-American Jonathan Stewart will represent the No. 5 Oregon Ducks. A dominant force in Eugene from 2005-07, Steward earned two First-Team All-American selections, led the Pac-10 in rushing yards during the 2007 season, and totaled 2,891 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns over his collegiate career. As a true freshman, he led the NCAA in kickoff return average and became the first player in Oregon history to return multiple kickoffs for touchdowns in a season. His standout junior campaign included 1,722 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns and a Sun Bowl-record 253 rushing yards, earning him Sun Bowl MVP honors and First-Team All-Pac-10 recognition. Stewart was selected 13th overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2008 NFL Draft and went on to spend 10 seasons with the franchise, becoming Carolina’s all-time leading rusher and earning Pro Bowl honors in 2015, while helping lead the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance.
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter/left fielder Kyle Schwarber will represent No. 1 Indiana, standing as one of the most accomplished athletes in Hoosiers’ history. A standout at Indiana University, Schwarber developed into one of college baseball’s premier power hitters, earning Freshman All-American honors in 2012 before posting back-to-back dominant seasons at the plate and being named a first-team All-American as a sophomore. He finished his collegiate career as a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award and played for the United States collegiate national team, cementing his status as one of the top prospects in the country before being selected in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs. Schwarber went on to play a pivotal role in the Cubs’ historic 2016 World Series championship and has since established himself as one of Major League Baseball's elite sluggers. A three-time All-Star and Silver Slugger Award winner, Schwarber is known for his postseason success and prodigious power, becoming just the 21st player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game.
Schwarber has been a huge Indiana football fan for years. He was a high school football star himself growing up in Middletown, Ohio before focusing on baseball.
I saw him in Tampa this summer when his Phillies were playing the Tampa Bay Rays and after our interview about baseball, all he wanted to talk about was how great the 2024 football season had been.
Schwarber also took part in the ESPN College Gameday show in October of 2024 when the network was on campus for Indiana's game with Washington. Schwarber was the guest picker, and he showed up in candy-stripe