Schwarber to represent Indiana as honorary captain for Peach Bowl CFP semifinal

Written from press release

ATLANTA — January 7, 2026

Indiana fans will see a familiar Hoosier on the biggest stage Friday night: former IU baseball standout and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber has been named Indiana’s honorary captain for the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, bowl officials announced Wednesday.

Schwarber will join Indiana’s game captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss ahead of the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where No. 1 Indiana faces No. 5 Oregon. Former Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart will serve as the Ducks’ honorary captain.

For Indiana supporters traveling to Atlanta — and for those watching from Bloomington and across the state — Schwarber’s selection puts an Indiana name and face front-and-center in the sport’s premier pregame moment as the Hoosiers chase a spot in the national championship game.

Schwarber, a product of Indiana’s baseball program, became one of the school’s signature modern pros after a standout career in Bloomington that led to his selection in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft. He later helped the Chicago Cubs win the 2016 World Series and has continued his career as a power hitter at the major-league level.

Stewart, one of Oregon’s most accomplished running backs, earned All-America recognition and finished his Ducks career with 2,891 rushing yards, punctuated by a Sun Bowl-record 253-yard performance that remains a hallmark of Oregon’s bowl history.

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