Fri., Oct. 25, marked the start of the 2025 World Series, and students at Concordia were buzzing about the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays showdown, as many students showed support for a Dodgers’ championship season. 

Junior Sydney Shelton, a Finance major and devoted Dodger fan, expressed her loyalty to the Dodgers while sharing her feelings about a Canadian opponent. She said, “I think the U.S. should have a separate league from Canada, but I also might just feel this way because the match [was] so close and the Blue Jays really stepped it up. I think both teams are evenly matched with one another.”

With around 32.6 million viewers worldwide for the first game, this Series was eagerly anticipated, as the Dodgers sought a back-to-back championship following their 2024 World Series title and the Blue Jays pursued their first World Series win since 1993.

Shelton added that the competitiveness and anticipation throughout the Series made Game 3 particularly unforgettable for her. “The 18 innings in Game 3 was one of my most memorable moments in the Series. I was on the edge of my seat during that game and then Freddie Freeman hit a game-winning home run,” she said. 

Fellow Dodger fan, Chad Hayes, junior and Communications major, echoed Game 3’s remarkable ending. “Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th inning was pretty significant in the Series,” he said. 

Hayes added that Yoshinobu Yamamoto's pitching, especially in Game 2, was a noteworthy moment and a main strength of the Dodgers. “Yamamoto’s complete game was pretty memorable. Without him, I don’t even think we would be in this Series. So I think pitching is definitely the biggest aspect of our team,” he said. 

While Hayes noted he is a loyal Dodger fan, he expressed that the Blue Jays’ contributions have made the Series competitive. “I think Game 1 stood out to me. The Blue Jays won 11-4,” he said. 

He added that the Blue Jays’ own strengths have challenged the Dodgers. “They are a very contact-heavy team, so they don’t strike out, and they just put the ball in play. They take advantage of our defense most of the time, especially our right field. They also have a pretty good defense too,” he said.

For baseball player and senior Luka Brancato, he thought Game 6 was the turning point in the series. “When the ball got stuck in the fence in the ninth inning, it was truly improbable how that got stuck in the fence. The Dodgers were pretty much stuck in the water with their backs to the wall, and that double play to end the game truly stunned definitely all of Toronto and eventually led to the Dodgers winning it all,” said Brancato.

Shelton communicated that, as a Dodgers fan, seeing them win was meaningful, as many local teams are rivals of the Dodgers. She said, “I feel like it means more, especially being from Southern California. There are so many other teams here, and a lot of people don’t want the Dodgers to win, so I think it is more about Dodgers pride as a fan.”

Hayes added, “To win back-to-back World Series so we can prove others wrong. I mean, a repeat champion hasn’t happened in, say, 20 years.”

In the ninth inning of Game 7, Dodgers player Miguel Rojas hit a home run that tied the team to the Blue Jays 4-4. 

“I still can’t believe that Rojas actually hit that home run when I was watching it,” Brancato said. “I was just hoping for him to get on base, and a home run wasn’t even in my thought process at all. He put up a good bat, and when I saw it go over the fence, I went absolutely nuts.”

With the overall Series tied 3-3 in Game 6, it came to an end Sat., Nov. 1, as the Dodgers won 5-4 in the 11th inning with a game-winning double play. 

Tags: baseball

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