Schwarber returns to old stomping grounds as College GameDay guest picker

On Saturday, Kyle Schwarber was back where his baseball career blossomed: Bloomington, Ind.

The Phillies slugger was at his alma mater, Indiana University, to be the celebrity guest picker on ESPN College GameDay ahead of a marquee matchup between Washington and the 13th-ranked and undefeated Hoosiers -- and his fit was on another level.

Sporting an IU batting helmet, a football jersey with pads and the iconic candy-striped pants made famous by Indiana's storied basketball program, Schwarber looked ready to take the field and make a tackle or two.

"It's going to be special, I'm ready to rock," Schwarber said on the pregame show.

Schwarber knows a little something about football; he was a standout linebacker at his high school in Ohio. But his biggest hits have always come on the diamond.

Schwarber was a two-time first-team All-American at Indiana. A .341 hitter in college, he ranks among the top 10 in school history in home runs (40), hits (238), runs (182) and slugging percentage (.607). He also helped lead the Hoosiers to their most recent trip to the College World Series in 2013. The following year, he became the baseball program’s highest-drafted player when the Cubs chose him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 Draft.

Schwarber has collected 284 home runs during his Major League career, the most by an Indiana alum. He passed Ted Kluszewski (279) for the top spot on that all-time list in September.