The Davidson Wildcats play Texas A&M Friday in the super regionals of college baseball. The Wildcats advance to this weekend after winning its regional round last week, including twice upsetting national number 2 seed North Carolina. It’s the talk of the town in Davidson.
Most Davidson students are long gone for the summer, but the team still has a lot of fans in town. The team’s warm up song cycles through the playlist at Raeford’s Barbershop in downtown Davidson, and someone turns it up. Barber Thomas Marsh says the team is a popular topic in the shop since it started its first ever NCAA tournament run.
“Everyone is excited. Especially in the barbershop. We notice everyone is talking about it – similar to the run with Steph Curry,” Marsh says.
Of course, he's talking about Davidson basketball’s appearance in the Elite 8 in 2008. Marsh has cut the hair of many Davidson baseball players over the years – including this year’s star player Will Robertson, who joined the team as a freshman walk-on and now is their best hitter with a .336 average.
"The town rallies behind anything the college does. All day we've got people coming in asking what time the game is coming on, when is it coming on, or whatever,” Marsh says.
The game starts at 3:00 on Friday, but there’s no need to tell Floyd Strand that. He’s a 1971 Davidson alum. He and his two grandkids are decked out in Wildcats gear on Main Street.
“It’s a huge year. A huge day. This is great for Davidson baseball, Davidson sports, and Davidson College,” Strand says.
There’s been a rush on Davidson baseball gear this week. The college store just sold out of baseball hats, but more are on the way. And if they win this round, expect some ‘Road to Omaha’ shirts – that’s where the College World Series takes place.
