(Photo: Courtesy of Joe Donovan)
It was about 20 or 25 minutes after the last out, and the celebrations finally had died down, at least a little bit, on the field at Jackie Robinson Stadium out in Los Angeles. Michigan had just bounced mighty UCLA and punched its first ticket to the College World Series in 35 years, and the atmosphere was absolutely lit.
But by now, it was a much quieter moment, and Joe Donovan had spotted his parents, Jim and Karen, down the first-base line, near the bullpens.
As he strolled to the family section for some celebratory embraces, Donovan spotted a kid, wearing a Michigan sweatshirt and a Nike hat.