CWS 2022: Executive director looks back at her career as she prepares to retire

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - From Rosenblatt to Charles Schwab Field, Kathryn Morrissey has been helping to make sure college athletes from across the nation have the best College World Series experience possible for 35 years.

“Rosenblatt was my first love in terms of a stadium,” said College World Series Executive Director Kathryn Morrissey. “I’m a lover of history. There was so much about that, that was special, knowing what student-athletes have been on that field who went on to major league baseball. Just all the blood sweat and tears that literally went into that building.”

For the past 12 years, Morrissey has served as the executive director of the College World Series.

She coordinates information for all the organizations working on CWS. She helps fine-tune events each year on top of helping to come up with new ideas for the fan experience.

As she gets ready to retire this fall, she’s looking back at all the memories she has made over the last three and a half decades preparing Omaha for the greatest show on dirt.

“I can tell you some of the experiences that stand out when president bush was here to throw out the first pitch ever for the college world series. We’ve never done the first pitch before. That’s pretty cool. Our first opening ceremonies. My husband Dan originated the opening ceremonies. That had never happened before and we did that in 1999.”

The colleagues she’s worked alongside for years say they will miss her presence at the stadium.

“We know Kathryn won’t be gone, she’s going to be around. Though I encourage her extra time to spend extra time with family, at the same time, relish in the memories of all the wonderful things that she’s been able to accomplish with the rest of the team at College World Series of Omaha inc. in making the NCAA men’s college world series one of the premier championships that the NCAA conducts,” said Jack Diesing Jr., president board of College World Series of Omaha.

Morrissey says the next week will be full of memories as she prepares to say goodbye to one of her great loves.

“When we do the closing ceremonies this year and that mournful trumpet does take me out to the ball game, I think that will be a moment I get a little teary at.”

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