Vanderbilt parents relish the ride at College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. – Walker Buehler's mother was calm and collected when her son pitched in Vanderbilt's College World Series win Friday night.

Connie Wiel, the mother of clean-up hitter Zander Wiel, was an admitted "nervous wreck."

Larry and Stephanie Bowden, parents of pitcher Ben Bowden, enjoyed every sight and sound in their first trip to TD Ameritrade Park.

It's an eclectic mix of family members that follow the Commodores, who are seeking their second straight national title. Some are taking their first College World Series trip, but this is old hat for others.

"I was here the whole 14 days last year, and it was all new and exciting," said Karen Walker, mother of Buehler. "We had no idea what to expect, so it was kind of an adventure. But this time we all knew what it was all about, and so we could appreciate more the second time."

Buehler pitched the Commodores to a 7-1 win over TCU on Friday and into the national championship series, and his mother said she was relaxed.

The rhetoric of some players' calm parents sounds similar to their sons, as most of Vanderbilt's current team was on the field for last year's national championship.

Connie Wiel, though, is a different case. Her son, Zander, is the mild-mannered slugger who won Tuesday's game over TCU 1-0 with a home run, but Connie has held her breath since the team arrived.

"I have been a nervous wreck the whole time here, just sick," she said. "Zander has been calm, but I've been stressed all week. This is Zander's last year, so it's the end. Win or lose, it's still his last."

Wiel and Buehler are among nine Vanderbilt players taken in the Major League Baseball draft. Most of them are playing the final games of their college career, which means the parents are on their final road trip.

But for families like the Bowdens, this is a first-time experience. They saw their son play early in the season in a brief trip from their home in Lynn, Mass., to Nashville, but they've watched games only on TV since then.

"It's amazing to think he was playing in front of 30 people (in high school) two years ago, and now he's playing in front of thousands," Larry said. "We just want to experience it, too. We've watched every game on TV, but being here is just special. We wanted to see the field and hear the crowd, and we're here until the boys are done."

Pitcher Collin Snider's family made the long haul in their RV, which became a part of regular-season games and the SEC Tournament. Snider is a freshman, but he has been here with his family in two previous College World Series – once as a fan and again as a Vanderbilt signee last year.

"It's neat that this is our third time here, but this time is a lot more nerve-racking," said Collin's dad, Jerry. "But the cool thing is the camaraderie between all the parents. We lean on each other for support, and it makes the trip even better."

Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @AdamSparks.