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5 father-son duos who played in the College World Series

The College World Series and Father's Day collide in some memorable ways. It's especially memorable for the father/son duos who have played in the College World Series. 2024 includes one such son, and so to honor the holiday and the sport's top time, let's look at a bunch of such duos.


Jeff and Joe Bonacquista, and 4 other father-son duos who played in the College World Series

Douglass Hodo and his father both played in the College World Series for Texas.
Douglass Hodo and his father both played in the College World Series for Texas.

1) Vance Honeycutt and Bobby Honeycutt (UNC, 2024 and 1989)

The current father/son duo of the moment features a pair of Tar Heels. Vance is a star with the 2024 squad, hitting .307 with 26 home runs and 28 stolen bases. With a CWS opening win over Virginia, he can already lay claim to the most family success in the series.

Bobby was on the 1989 North Carolina team. That squad reached the CWS, but promptly went 0-2 and were sent home. Bobby was a senior on that team, and the losses ended his baseball career.


2. Douglas Hodo and Doug Hodo (Texas, 2021/2022 and 1984/1985)

Another same-school duo, Douglas played for Texas's 2021 and 2022 squads. A regular outfielder, he batted .281 with five homers in 2021 and improved to .319 with 10 homers the next season. A sixth-round 2022 MLB Draft pick, Douglass is still playing in the minors.

His father, Doug, was also an outfielder. He hit .246 with seven homers in 1984 and hit .308 in 1985 for UT. The Horns won the series in 1983, before Doug arrived, but were runners-up in both 1984 and 1985.


3. Rick Leach and Dick Leach (Michigan, 1978 and 1953)

A dual-sport star, Rick hit .361 in his Michigan career and was also once the starting QB on the Wolverine football team. He hit .404 in 151 at bats in 1978, when the Wolverines reached the College World Series. Rick went on to play 10 seasons in MLB, hitting .268 for his career.

His dad, Dick, was a catcher for the 1953 Michigan team. While individual stats aren't readily available, Dick Leach caught every inning for the team, which won the 1953 College World Series. Dick played one season in the minor leagues for the Tigers. He got the title, but his son got the MLB glory.


4. Jeff Bonacquista and Joe Bonacquista (Wichita State and Colorado State, 1988/1989 and 1962)

Jeff was a lefty first baseman/outfielder who hit .315 and stole 20 bases in 1987. He hit .290 for the 1988 College World Series team, but his career ended in 1989 because of an injury before the Series. While he tried for professional baseball after healing, he ultimately became a CPA instead.

His dad, Joe, hit .393 for Northern Colorado, then known as Colorado State, which made the 1962 College World Series. They went 0-2 in Omaha and Joe became a long-time teacher and coach.


5. David Haas and Bob Haas (Wichita State and Missouri, 1989 and 1958)

With 49 college wins, David Haas was one of the best pitchers in Wichita State history. He joined Jeff Bonacquista on the 1988 CWS team. David went 14-5 that year. He also played for the 1989 team. David was 7-5 in MLB over three seasons.

Bob played his college baseball at Missouri. The Tigers qualified for the 1958 Series and finished as runners-up.

Which CWS father/son duo do you remember? Weigh in below with your comments.

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