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UT baseball’s championship run extra special for local father-son duo

Staff photo by Stephen Hargis / South Pittsburg residents Tommy Rector and son Luke, pictured Saturday, have attended all 12 College World Series games over the past week, as part of Luke's high school graduation gift.
Staff photo by Stephen Hargis / South Pittsburg residents Tommy Rector and son Luke, pictured Saturday, have attended all 12 College World Series games over the past week, as part of Luke's high school graduation gift. Staff photo by Stephen Hargis / South Pittsburg residents Tommy Rector and son Luke, pictured Saturday, have attended all 12 College World Series games over the past week, as part of Luke's high school graduation gift.

By Stephen Hargis 5 min read


OMAHA, Neb. — For the better part of the past week, they have sat shoulder to shoulder, squinting into the bright Cornhusker State sunshine from their seats along the third-base line and taking in countless fly balls and fried food.

And neither would trade a moment of that time together.

Sharing a single day at the College World Series would rank at or near the top of any father-son bucket list trip, but for Tommy and Luke Rector, the hours spent in and around Charles Schwab Field Omaha have produced a lifetime of priceless memories.

While thousands of University of Tennessee fans began descending on Omaha since the baseball team’s midweek win clinched a spot in the national championship series, what makes the Rectors unique is they have been in Omaha since the opening game June 14, sitting through all 12 games — more than 40 hours worth of ground balls and grand slams, with more still to come this weekend.