Josh Sborz of the Texas Rangers is currently one of the select handful who have won World Series in both college and the professional ranks.

Josh Sborz had no idea he would be starting the World Series’ penultimate inning.

With each out he recorded in Game 5, the Texas Rangers moved one game closer to their first championship. He entered the game in the seventh inning and was sent off to open the ninth.

But Sborz stayed on the mound, closer Jose Leclerc stayed in the bullpen, and manager Bruce Bochy stayed in the dugout after each out.

“I thought, let’s just try to finish this,” Sborz said to Julia Elbaba of NBC. “And I don’t have to run out; I can celebrate on the field.”

Instead, after Sborz struck out Ketel Marte in an attempt to give the Rangers their first World Series championship in the team’s 63-year history—the first 11 of which were spent as the Washington Senators—the celebration ran out to him.

And something he’d kind of experienced previously.

In 2015, Sborz assisted in leading the University of Virginia to their first-ever College World Series victory. Throughout the Cavaliers’ postseason run, he pitched 19 innings and gave up no earned runs, earning him the title of Most Outstanding Player of the series.

With the Rangers, that moment predicted Sborz’s future on the biggest stage of baseball: he pitched 12 postseason innings and gave up just one earned run.

According to NCAA.com, Sborz became just the 22nd player in baseball history to win both the MLB World Series and the College World Series with his championship victories in Virginia and Texas.

Sborz asserted, “I believe every significant event, whether in high school, college, or professional sports, prepares you for the next moment.” “It just gets bigger and amplifies.”

Pitching at the World Series, Sborz put the knowledge and experiences he gained during the College World Series to use.

According to Sborz, “college should prepare you for life, and it did exactly that.” “It was very difficult, but because it is so difficult, it makes life easier.”

Sborz has spent his entire life preparing for the possibility that he would be on the mound for the World Series’ final out, even though he may not have anticipated that position.

Sborz stated, “I think that part of the reason I’ve been successful in the playoffs is that I approach every game like a championship game.” Thus, to me, the championship game will be no different from any other game. Because I always keep the moment enormous throughout the year, it is never too big.

READ MORE:

What number of athletes have won both the World Series and the College World Series?
Josh Sborz became the 22nd baseball player to win the College World Series and World Series when he recorded the game-winning out in the 2023 Fall Classic.

NCAA.com lists the players who have accomplished this.

Texas (1983), Roger Clemens (1999, 2000), and the New York Yankees
Ed Sprague, Toronto Blue Jays (1992, 1993), and Stanford (1987, 1988)
Terry Francona, Boston Red Sox (manager, 2004) and Arizona (1980)
Rick Monday, Los Angeles Dodgers (1981) and Arizona State (1965)
Sal Brando, Oakland Athletics (1972, 1973, 1974), and Arizona State (1965)
Arizona State (1965) and the New York Mets (1969) both have Duffy Dyer.
Gary Gentry, New York Mets (1969) and Arizona State (1967)
Jackie Jensen, New York Yankees (1950) and California (1947)
Ryan Theriot, LSU (2000), San Francisco Giants (2012), and St. Louis Cardinals (2011)
Mike Fontenot, San Francisco Giants (2010) and LSU (2000)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2018), South Carolina (2010, 2011), and Jackie Bradley Jr.
Ron Fairly, Los Angeles (1958) and Southern CaliforniaDon Buford, Baltimore Orioles (1970) and USC (1958)
Rich Dauer, USC (1973) and Baltimore Orioles (1983); Ron Smalley, USC (1972) and Minnesota Twins (1987)
Philadelphia Phillies (1980) and Keith Moreland, Texas (1975)
Ed Vosberg, Florida Marlins (1997) and Arizona (1980)
Texas (1983), Billy Bates (1990), and the Cincinnati Reds
Mark Redman, the Florida Marlins (2003) and Oklahoma (1994)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2020) and Justin Turner, Cal State (2004)
Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves (2021) and Vanderbilt (2014)
Josh Sborz, Texas Rangers (2023) and Virginia (2015).