Ryan Walterhouse is a former police officer who currently works as a security detail contractor. After spending three years as a police officer for the Oakland Police Department, he transitioned into his current role in the private security field, providing protective services for a variety of federal agencies and employees. His responsibilities include ensuring the protection of facilities, personnel, and sensitive information, often by evaluating and mitigating criminal, terrorist, and related threats. Ryan Walterhouse prepared for his career in law enforcement and private security by training at the Alameda County Sheriff’s Academy and earning a degree in criminal justice from Indiana State University. While attending Indiana State, he was a member of the school’s D1 baseball team. He was also a member of the California State Championship baseball team at Ohlone College, where he earned his associate degree.
While college baseball doesn’t enjoy the same popularity as college football (which is the most-watched collegiate sport in the United States) or even basketball (the second most popular collegiate sport), it still manages to draw a large, passionate audience, both in person and on television. There were 300 D1 baseball teams in 2024, with games often drawing as many as 2 million viewers. Approximately 30 million people tuned into a D1 baseball playoff game this past year, representing nearly 10 percent of the US population.
The college baseball championships began in 1947, and a number of teams have enjoyed consistent success over the years, including Texas, Louisiana State University (LSU), Arizona State University, and the University of Southern California (the latter of which won a record 12 championships between 1948 and 1998). The following two teams are the most recent ones to win the national championship.
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee Volunteers won the most recent college baseball national championship in 2024 over Texas A&M, led by Coach Tony Vitello. Texas A&M University won the first game of the series, and Tennessee orchestrated a come-from-behind victory by taking out the next two games and ultimately sealing the win 6-5 in the third and final contest. Finishing the year with 60 wins, the Volunteers notched their school’s first collegiate baseball national championship. Dylan Dreiling won Most Outstanding Player of the series, hitting a home run and earning an RBI in game three. He was also the first collegiate player to hit a home run in all three of the series games.
Louisiana State University
The second most successful team in collegiate baseball history, Louisiana State University won its seventh championship in 2023 after annihilating Florida 18-4 in the decisive third game of the series. Incredibly, the LSU Tigers had blown an opportunity to clinch the championship in two games after losing by 20 points in a blowout in game 2. Shaking off the loss overnight, the team regrouped the next day to orchestrate a blowout of their own, led by Brayden Jobert’s three runs (including one home run) and three RBIs. Tre Morgan and Dylan Crews also each scored three runs, with Crews being only the fourth Golden Spikes Award winner to go on to win the national championship (and the first since 1995).
LSU came into the series as the top-ranked college team in the US. The win marked the school’s first championship since 2009.
