Playing In College World Series And Getting Married, Louisville's Tanner Shiver Could Have A Busy Week

This is going to be an interesting and exciting week for Louisville infielder Tanner Shiver. He's participating in the College World Series and also plans on getting married during what he's hoping is an off-day for the Cardinals before playing for a national title. 

After meeting his fiancée, Katelyn Farmer, during their time together at Tennessee Tech while they were both participating in different sports, Shiver proposed to his soon-to-be wife almost two years ago. But there was a twist at the time of his December 2023 proposal. 

While he was contemplating his career playing baseball, there was an opportunity for him to enter the transfer portal while at Tennessee Tech, after snagging attention from different schools that would lead to a fifth year of college baseball. He made it known to every school that was reaching out to him about the date of his marriage, knowing that a competitive team he signed with could be participating in the College World Series. 

Turns out, Louisville coach Dan McDonnell was understanding and embraced the honesty of the potential transfer. 

While McDonnell told Shiver that it was a bridge they'd cross if they got there, the wedding plans were a ‘go’, and navigating around his trip to Omaha was actually the best case scenario for everyone involved. 

The wedding is set for June 20th in Jeffersontown. This just so happens to be the official ‘off-day’ at the College World Series. So, not only is Shiver preparing to play on the biggest stage of his career, he's also having to navigate around a wedding that was not going to be postponed due to his postseason schedule. 

"First, we're gonna win a couple games here in Omaha, and then we're gonna make it to the national championship," Shiver mentioned. "From there I'm going to get on a plane after we win, fly to Kentucky, marry the love of my life and get on a plane right after the reception and get back to Omaha, Nebraska for the national championship."

If Louisville gets through the next five days, this is going to be a fascinating story to watch unfold, but he only has one job pertaining to his wedding. 

Playing In The College World Series And Getting Married, Louisville's Tanner Shiver Could Have A Busy Week Via: Nicole Finch, Louisville Athletics

Louisville's Tanner Shiver Needs To Just Make It To The Church

My goodness, can you imagine the logistical nightmare if Louisville advances to next week's set of games that could send them to the championship series? Not only is Shiver mentally preparing for a massive opportunity, he's also about to sign a long-term contract with his fiancée, Katelyn Farmer. 

"I proposed to her in December of 2023, and we set the date that winter, thinking that I was just gonna be done with grad-school in May 2025, at the latest, and that my baseball career was going to be over in June of 2024 at the latest," Shiver explained of the timing. "So we set the date not thinking anything of it. So yea, it's been set for a while. 

"It's a great surprise, it's a good thing. When circumstances changed for me and got into the transfer portal, it was some of the schools that were recrutiing me I knew they were going to be national contenders. Obviously, I let them know. So Coach Mac has known from the beginning, and he said ‘Hopefully we get there, hopefully it’s a problem.' "

You honestly can't make this stuff up. Thinking that your baseball career will be finished, have it all planned out with your fiancée, and then your team makes the College World Series two years later. It's obviously a fantastic problem to have, but you know his significant other is terrified of what could possibly go wrong, though I'm not going to jinx anything by laying out what those obstacles could be. 

As for being involved in the planning, Tanner Shiver is already learning to just stay out of the way and let the women take care of things, which I tip my cap to him for. 

"Her and her mother and my mom have done a great job at getting everything ready and getting it all together. I've taken care of a few of the things, not a whole lot, but I've done a little bit for us. I planned the honeymoon, which I don't know what I'm going to do about, because we were supposed to leave on the (June) 21st. So, we'll see how all that unfolds."

Playing In The College World Series And Getting Married, Louisville's Tanner Shiver Could Have A Busy Week Via: Nicole Finch, Louisville Athletics Regionals

I think we can all agree that seeing Louisville make it to the championship series, while also attending his wedding on the day off, would be one of the best stories to come out of Omaha in recent memory. 

Hopefully, he gets the opportunity to start freaking out next week in hopes of making it to the chapel, and then racing back to Omaha. Sometimes you can't make this stuff up.