Ty Dooley spent his freshman year of college at Radford University in High Point, N.C. The 2021 Blythewood High School graduate started every game for the Highlanders and batted .315 in his freshman year, but he learned very quickly that he wanted more.
Shortly after putting his name in the transfer portal, he found out that Coastal Carolina wanted him. “I did well there, but they had a coaching change, and Coastal has always been where I wanted to go,” Dooley said about going from Radford to play for the Chanticleers. “It’s where I wanted to go after high school, and they just happened to be the first team that called. Within the next two days I was on the campus.”
Dooley’s change of location proved fortunate. In his sophomore and junior years at Coastal he started as the team’s shortstop in more than 100 games. This year he played a big part in the team’s 25-game winning streak since April 25.
“Once I got here, the development aspect was very present,” Dooley said. “Radford was kind of a show-up-and-play place, and when I got to Coastal I found out that it’s nothing but development. They’re not looking for guys to come and play, they’re wanting guys to come and play together as a team and get better individually and as a team.”
That team culture is the work of longtime coach Gary Gilmore, who stepped down in 2024, and longtime assistant Kevin Schnall, who took over as head coach for the 2025 season.
The Chanticleers (55-11) blew past Auburn in two games of the Super Regional round and reached the College World Series at Omaha, Neb., for the second time. The Chanticleers won it all in 2016 under head coach Gary Gilmore. In this trip under head coach Kevin Schnall, they’ve beaten Arizona 7-4 Friday, Oregon State 6-2 Sunday, and played Louisville Wednesday.
Dooley, who’s a key part of the team’s infield defense, had two hits against Arizona and got on base with a walk against Oregon State.
A win over the Cardinals will bring Coastal to the best-of-three championship series that begins Saturday.
“We’re all feeling good. We’re in a great spot, and we’ve put ourselves in it. It’s not like we’ve fallen into it,” Dooley said. “A couple of people had their doubts about us, but we’ve showed them pretty well that we’re meant to be here. The way the brackets are, somebody’s got to beat us twice.”
Also in Omaha is Dooley’s former Blythewood teammate, LSU pitcher Zac Cowan. Cowan, a2022 Blythewood graduate, has not made a mound appearance thus far, but the Tigers beat Arkansas 4-1 Saturday and finished off Monday’s game against UCLA that was postponed due to rain with a 9-5 victory Tuesday.
LSU played either Arkansas or UCLA Wednesday. Like with Coastal, their opponents must beat them twice to advance to Saturday’s CWS championship series.
This is not the first time Dooley has been to Omaha. The Chanticleers played a couple of games at Omaha’s Charles Schwab field last season as a farewell tour of sorts for Gilmore.
This year, Dooley and the Chants are reveling in the regalia of the biggest college baseball event of the year.
“It’s completely different. It’s absolutely come alive. Every kind of fan and every kind of person is comingling. You can’t go anywhere and not meet baseball fans from all over the country. And
I’ve had a really good steak last night, too.”
