Towson, we have someone to root for in the World Series. And yes, Orioles fans, this may require a temporary exception to your feelings about the Tampa Bay Rays.
From Towson
To Tampa Bay
Former Towson University standout Richie Palacios helped send Tampa Bay to baseball’s biggest stage Monday night, delivering a two-run double in the second inning of the Rays’ 7–3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. The hit opened the scoring in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, putting Tampa Bay on its way to clinching the pennant.
Next stop: a World Series matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers, beginning Friday, October 23, in Milwaukee. Both franchises are chasing their first World Series championship.
For Towson baseball fans, Palacios’ October run carries extra significance. According to Towson Athletics, he became the first player drafted or signed out of the university’s baseball program to make an MLB postseason roster. Now he’s contributing to a team four wins from a championship.
Before the national television cameras, Palacios was making things happen in a Tigers uniform. Playing shortstop for Towson in April 2018, he stole his 70th career base to establish a school record. He added another steal later that same game, improving to a perfect 20-for-20 in stolen-base attempts that season. Clearly, standing around was never his preferred approach.
Cleveland selected the Brooklyn native in the third round of the 2018 MLB Draft. His professional journey later took him to the St. Louis Cardinals before a January 2024 trade brought him to Tampa Bay.
This season, Palacios hit .235 with 10 home runs, 57 RBIs and 17 stolen bases across 124 games, spending most of his time at second base. Those contributions helped earn him an opportunity to make some Towson history this postseason.
For the current Tigers practicing on campus, there’s something pretty powerful about watching a former Towson player deliver with a pennant on the line.
And for the rest of us? It’s a perfectly good excuse to watch the World Series with a little hometown pride.
Orange and black remain the everyday colors. But for this series, we can make a little room for a former Tiger.
⚾ Before the Rays, Richie Palacios Was Stealing Bases at Towson
Before delivering on baseball’s biggest stage, Richie Palacios was putting together quite a résumé at Towson University. In three seasons from 2016–2018, he hit .323 with 19 home runs, 98 RBIs and 154 runs scored, setting the school’s career record with 76 stolen bases. He also earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors and became the first Tiger to reach 200 hits by his junior season. His final year included 52 walks against just 16 strikeouts, apparently, making pitchers miserable was part of the curriculum.
