OMAHA, Neb. — Growing up, the Cozart family spent their weekends in the car driving to baseball games. Some weekends, it was for their dad, Craig, former High Point baseball head coach, and others were to watch one of their three kids play ball in a tournament.
On Thursday, the Triad family went back to their old tradition as they began to make the cross-country drive to watch their son, Jacob, play for NC State in the NCAA College World Series.
"Craig worked a NCAA YES Baseball Clinic at the College World Series back in 1995 and he vowed that he would not go back unless he was playing, coaching or watching somebody he loved," said Jacob's mom, Michelle. "When Jacob was about 14, he looked at Craig and said, 'I'm going to take you back, daddy.'"
That promise came to fruition after the Pack beat Georgia in the Athens Super Regional to advance to the College World Series.
"He came up to the net and he said, Dad, I'm taking you back," said Michelle. "I still picture the little five-year-old who put on the catcher's chest protector that went down to his knees. It's amazing to see all of his hard work kind of come together with the team," his mother added.
It was a no-brainer for the entire Cozart family to hop in the car and make the 17-hour road trip to Omaha. His brothers Caleb, Sam, and dog Dizzy Dean, squeezed in the back ready to cheer on their brother.
"I was test one, I set the standard," Caleb joked. Caleb played baseball for UNCG. After wrapping up his senior season, the former Spartan earned NCBWA and ABCA First Team All-American honors. "Jacob was tested two, and he raised a bar even higher."
While the bar for the Cozarts is set high, the youngest, Sam, is already on pace to meeting it. Heading into his senior year at Wesleyan Christian the pitcher is already committed to play at Texas A&M.
"All we want for our boys is to look down the line in 15, 20 years from now and say that they made the most of their opportunities and they maximize the talents and abilities that the Lord has given to them," said Craig.
NC State is set to play Kentucky in Game 1 of the College World Series Saturday at 2 p.m.