The first bracket of the College World Series took place in Omaha, Neb., this week, and the stage is set for this weekend’s finals: North Carolina vs. Oklahoma. And if you’ve been following my coverage of postseason college baseball, you’ll know that I’m heartbroken to have typed that first sentence.
That’s right: my Georgia Bulldogs fell short at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners. Georgia’s hot bats got cold the same time that Oklahoma’s bats got red hot. Still, I’m proud of this team. It’s been a special season, and it makes me a little sad that it’s over.
I wanted to highlight one of the cool stories that came out of this tough bracket. The two games in which Georgia and Oklahoma faced off featured the first pair of brothers to play against each other in the College World Series: Georgia’s Kolby Branch and Oklahoma’s Kyle Branch.
The Branch family hails from Spring, Texas. Senior Kolby and sophomore Kyle are the two oldest of Rusty and Kari Branch’s four sons. When Kolby transferred to Georgia in 2024, he immediately became a game-changing and popular player.
Side note: When Kolby was transferring from Baylor and made a visit to Athens, Ga., newly hired Bulldogs baseball coach Wes Johnson was in Omaha fulfilling his duties as LSU’s pitching coach during the Tigers’ championship run. So an interesting third party convinced Kolby to come to UGA; football head coach Kirby Smart entertained the Branches and told Kolby, “You look like a freaking dawg!”
Kyle is carving out a similar lane at Oklahoma. ESPN explained how competitive Kyle is:
In a sports-obsessed family with two brothers in the Men’s College World Series, Oklahoma second baseman Kyle Branch has been occasionally asked to dial down his competitiveness. He finished second in a whiffle-ball home run derby at the age of 6 and threw the trophy in the trash. He’s sneaky good at the board game Clue, and of course was the first one in his family to figure out it was Professor Plum in the library with the candlestick.
“If he doesn’t win,” said his father, Rusty Branch, “it’s torture for our family.”
Last season, when Oklahoma came to Foley Field for a three-game series at Georgia, the Branch family wore jerseys that were half-Georgia and half-Oklahoma. Those jerseys came back out in Omaha for Monday night’s game.
Related: Eight Teams, One Omaha Dream: It’s the College World Series, Baby!
Oklahoma sent Georgia to the losers’ bracket on Monday. After trouncing Texas in an elimination game, it was do or die for the Bulldogs. The Sooners were hot, but the Dawgs weren’t. But Kolby got to go out with a bang in the ninth inning — and got to high-five his little bro.
What an absolutely incredible moment for the Branch family in Kolby Branch’s final collegiate AB, getting to high five his brother rounding the bases while parents are in stands.
Can’t script it. pic.twitter.com/DtK34i0dQx
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) June 18, 2026
“Kolby at least got the chance to trot around the bases one more time in his final college at-bat, smashing a solo home run in the ninth inning,” wrote ESPN’s Elizabeth Merrill. “His brother took a deep breath as Kolby stood at the plate, then his eyes lit up, mouth agape, and he smiled as he watched the ball sail over the fence.”
And with all the competition during the game, after the game, there was nothing but love.
All the postgame love ❤️#MCWS pic.twitter.com/rZdZu5wrk0
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 18, 2026
Afterward, Kolby was supportive of his brother:
While Sooners’ fans celebrated in the Omaha Baseball Village, Kyle went to the downtown Marriott, Georgia’s team hotel. About 200 people, mostly baseball families who’ve followed their children through more than a decade of games, gathered in the lobby.
Kyle hugged Kolby, and told him he loved him. According to their dad, Kolby gave his brother one piece of advice.
“Go win the damn thing.”
We Bulldogs fans are going to miss Kolby for sure, but it’s cool to see the Branch family continuing to enjoy Omaha and keep a championship dream alive. I might be rooting for the Tar Heels because I’ve had an affinity for North Carolina for a while, but I’ll be watching Kyle with a little bit of pride.
Stories like the Branch brothers’ College World Series moment are why sports still matter. They remind us that behind the uniforms, rivalries, and heartbreak, there are families, memories, and moments that stick with us long after the final out.
At PJ Media, we tell the stories the corporate press either misses, mangles, or drains of all common sense. Become a PJ Media VIP today and get 60% off with promo code FIGHT. You’ll support independent conservative journalism and get access to exclusive columns, podcasts, and analysis you won’t find anywhere else.
