LSU outfielder Derek Curiel is drawing national attention—not just for his talent on the baseball field, but for standing firm in his Christian faith after the NCAA refused to play his walk-up song of choice at the College World Series.

The controversy began when Curiel confirmed via social media that the NCAA barred him from using Kanye West’s “God Is” as his walk-up song during the championship series in Omaha. In response to a fan asking if the decision was because the song was “Christian,” Curiel replied, “Yes, sadly.”

Former LSU pitcher and sports commentator Ben McDonald posted the exchange on X (formerly Twitter), voicing support for Curiel: “Keep doing ur thing and never apologize for who you are and what you believe.”

Somebody please tell me this isn’t true!!!!! If so….maybe the @NCAA will give us an explanation why they wouldn’t allow it @CWSOmaha but allowed it all year and Regional/Super Regional play. The #NCAA has made so many poor decisions in recent years…..hopefully this is not… pic.twitter.com/yvDbTuUJ2Q

— Ben McDonald (@realbenmcdonald) June 24, 2025

Curiel later confirmed in an interview with WAFB-TV that he was “a little upset” that the NCAA allowed only the instrumental version to play. “They didn’t let the words play,” he said. “I don’t know if it was religious or Kanye West or whatever.”

WAFB’s Jacques Doucet later clarified that, according to a source, the NCAA’s decision was based on the artist—Kanye West—and not the song’s Christian message. Doucet noted that another LSU player, Kade Anderson, also had his walk-up song—West’s secular hit “All of the Lights”—denied for the same reason.

Still, many questioned the NCAA’s inconsistency. McDonald pointed out that the song had been allowed during the Regional and Super Regional games. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill also weighed in, calling the move “a terrible call no matter how they explain it.”

“The NCAA owes him an apology,” Murrill said in an X post. “Truth is truth, no matter who sings it.” She praised Curiel as a “great role model” and urged him to “keep it up.”

Despite the controversy, Curiel’s focus remains on faith. In a recent interview with The Walk, he shared, “My confidence comes from the Lord. I already know where I’m going to go after I die, so I should just live my life to glorify Him and be selfless.”

That mindset carries over to the field. “I pray continually in the outfield, honestly,” he said. “Literally, when I’m in the outfield, I’m talking to God the whole entire time. I think that’s what keeps me going.”

Curiel’s Instagram bio reads like a personal mission statement: “Jesus Christ is King. For God, For My Family, For the Love of the Game.”

And perhaps his most powerful words came in a quiet moment during the interview: “I want to be known as the guy who plays baseball that loves Jesus.”