SchwarBOMB! Former Hoosier Slugger Kyle Schwarber Guest Picker for ESPN’s GameDay

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Written by T.J. Inman

For the first time ever on a Saturday, ESPN’s famous College Game Day pregame kickoff show will emanate from Bloomington. The decision was announced after IU’s dismantling of Nebraska moved the Hoosiers to 7-0.

One of the recurring traditions on College GameDay is the analysts being joined by a guest with connections to the host university and the group choosing which teams they believe will win key matchups around the country. The show culminates with the selection of the host team’s game and jubilant crowd scenes lead into ESPN’s noon game.

As soon as ESPN announced they were coming to Bloomington, speculation began about who the guest picker would be. Victor Oladipo? Lilly King? Mark Cuban? A wild Jon Gruden appeared on Wednesday night before being quickly shot down for making no sense. The selection has been made and you could say it is a home run: Kyle Schwarber.

The Ohio native enrolled at Indiana prior to the 2012 season and quickly stood out as a special talent. He was a freshman All-American after hitting .300 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs in his debut season. Schwarber took off in 2013, hitting .366 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs in 61 games. Schwarber hit .348 as a junior and hit 13 more home runs before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft with the fourth overall selection. He led IU to unprecedented success on the diamond and developed a following for his massive home runs. As the saying goes, “chicks dig the long ball”! Schwarber debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 2015 and was a catcher, outfielder and designated hitter for the Cubs. Schwarber will forever be a Cubs hero after hitting .412 in the 2016 World Series and helping the franchise win the title, breaking the century long “curse”. He bounced from Washington to Boston before finding a home with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022. Schwarber is still with the Phillies and has been a two-time MLB All-Star with 284 career home runs. 

Tailgating and parking lots open at 6:00 a.m. and the College Game Day lot, located on the Memorial Stadium South Lawn) opens at 6:30 with the program beginning at 9:00 a.m.