Two former college baseball rivals turned boyfriends have given queer fans a love story that feels almost scripted — in the best possible way.
Division III baseball players Aiden Phipps and Cole Philpott first crossed paths when their teams — the Beloit Buccaneers and the Grinnell Pioneers — faced off on the diamond in early 2023.
What began as competitive banter and playful DM exchanges eventually evolved into something deeper off the field. Their chemistry grew as their friendship developed, and soon they were officially dating by June of that year.
In December 2023, Outsports named Phipps and Philpott its Male Heroes of the Year for sharing their story publicly and showing other LGBTQ+ athletes what’s possible when you live authentically and without apology. Their visibility resonated because, in a sport culture where same-sex relationships are still rarely acknowledged, they chose to be open about who they are and who they love.
What has made this story especially magnetic for queer audiences is how closely it mirrors the central arc of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov in the hit series Heated Rivalry — a show that became a cultural phenomenon for its portrayal of two elite athletes who go from opponents to lovers. The emotional beats — rivalry turning into connection, vulnerability growing out of respect, and love emerging where competition once ruled — play out in both the fictional show and in Phipps and Philpott’s real life.
In Heated Rivalry, Shane and Ilya’s relationship blew up because audiences were thirsty for queer love stories set in traditionally masculine sports spaces. Seeing parallels in real life — two baseball players meeting through the game and discovering a bond that transcends rivalry — feels exhilarating for many fans, as if the fantasy life of TV is reflecting tangible change in the real world.
Phipps and Philpott’s journey wasn’t only about falling in love, though. It was also about authenticity and courage: Phipps publicly explored his bisexuality for the first time as their relationship progressed, and both young men spoke about how their teammates and families responded with support once they shared who they were.
That’s part of what made them Outsports’ Male Heroes of the Year – not just the romance, but the way they helped expand what queer visibility in college sports can look like.
For queer fans who have devoured Heated Rivalry and become invested in stories of vulnerability and connection in sports, Phipps and Philpott’s narrative hits with an almost narrative completeness. It doesn’t rely on drama or angst, but on two people meeting through competition and discovering love, support, and an authentic self in the same place where they once only knew rivalry.
And maybe that’s why it resonates so strongly: whether it’s hockey in a scripted universe or real college baseball, queer love keeps surprising us in the best ways — by showing up where we least expect it and turning rivalry into connection, inning by inning, slide by slide.