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LSU baseball star Derek Curiel fumed nearly a week after the Tigers won a national title over why his preferred walk-up song was not allowed at the College World Series.
A key part of every baseball player's routine for home or neutral-site games is picking a song that they walk up to the batter's box for during every plate appearance.
Curiel's pick of 'God Is' by Kanye West was banned from college baseball's biggest event, with an instrumental version being played instead.
'I’m a little upset that the NCAA didn’t allow that song to be played. They only played the instrumental version. They didn’t let the words play. But it’s OK,' Curiel said to WAFB.
The song includes the bible verse Psalm 150:6, which is important to LSU's best hitter.
'God Is – everything that has breath, praise the Lord. That's a verse in the Bible and that’s just something I want everyone to know,' Curiel said. 'You worship Christ, and that’s what I'm here to do. I just want people to know me as a guy who plays baseball that loves Jesus.'
Derek Curiel fumed nearly a week after the Tigers won a national title over his walk-up song
Curiel did not know if his song was banned due to the artist or for religious reasons
'They wouldn’t play it. I don’t know what it was. I don’t know if it was religious or Kanye West or whatever, but I was a little upset. But it’s OK.'
WAFB later reported the ban was due to West being the artists, in light of the controversial things he has said over the last few years.
'A source close to situation has told me Derek Curiel’s song was banned because of the artist (Kanye West), not because of its Christian genre or content.' WAFB reported. '(LSU pitcher) Kade Anderson’s walk-out song "All of the Lights" was also banned at the College World Series for being a Kanye West song.'
Oddly enough, Rihanna's part in 'All of the Lights' was allowed to be played during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2023.
LSU did just fine without the proper walk-up music for two of its stars, winning a national title last weekend by not losing a game in Omaha.
Curiel had a .345 batting average with seven home runs and 55 runs batted in for the Tigers in 2025.
