Every night in the summer, roughly 70,000 people watch summer collegiate baseball games. In a world of Big League millionaires, the crack of the bat and the glow of a warm night can feel misplaced, but in summer collegiate leagues – where soon-to-be stars crash in spare bedrooms and play for free on humble diamonds – the poetry of America’s Pastime persists. Baseball careers are nearing a climax. Small towns embrace their leg of the journey, no matter the destination.

In Summer Baseball Nation, with nine days as the stage, Will Geoghegan tells the stories of the summer of 2016. Eighteen of the best college players in the country playing wiffle ball on Cape Cod. The Midnight Sun Game in Alaska. A California legend picking up another win. Home runs flying into Lake Michigan. The namesake of an old minor league club packing the same charming ballpark. At every stop, dreams are chased and moments are savored.