Who is Marlana VanHoose? National anthem singer for College World Series Finals goes viral in Game 2 between Florida-LSU

Marlana VanHoose thrilled the college baseball world with her national anthem performance at the College World Series Finals on Sunday. The singing sensation arrived in Omaha to enchant over 24,000 college baseball enthusiasts with her performance. She delivered an electrifying performance that left everyone in the audience spellbound.

The pre-game performance has got a lot of people talking. The video has since gone viral on the internet, further boosting her rising popularity.

But this was not the first time the Paintsville, Kentucky native performed at a major sporting event.

Marlana VanHoose's condition at birth

Marlana VanHoose was born on June 25, 1995, in Columbus, Ohio. She is the eldest of two siblings, born to David VanHoose, a correctional officer in the federal prison system, and Teresa VanHoose, a dedicated school teacher.

She came into the world with Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a condition that impaired the growth of her optic nerve, resulting in her being blind from birth. At the time of her birth, doctors predicted that she would not survive past one year.

However, after her first year, her parents received news the virus had gone into remission. When she reached the age of two, she was diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy. She has lived with this condition ever since.

VanHoose's unlikely rise and success in music

Gillette Home Run Derby presented by Head & Shoulders

Despite her medical condition, VanHoose turned out to be a gifted singer. Her musical journey began at a young age. She reportedly started playing the piano and humming the beloved gospel classic, "Jesus Loves Me" at the tender age of two.

She had a breakthrough moment in 2012 when she sang the national anthem at a University of Kentucky women's basketball game. A spectator captured the performance and uploaded it to YouTube, causing the footage to quickly gain widespread attention and go viral.

Her story, titled "Teen's Big Voice Shatters Obstacles" was featured in a full segment on the CBS Evening News in 2013. ESPN-E-60 aired a feature story titled "Loud and Proud," which highlighted her and the United Kingdom Women's Basketball team.

Since her first national anthem performance at the University of Kentucky in 2012, she has thrilled thousands of fans at other major sports events. This includes the NBA Playoffs (2015), NBA Finals (2015), NASCAR Sprint Cup (2015), Home Run Derby (2015) and a host of others.

She was also the official anthem singer for the 2016 Republican National Convention. Following the performance, she made an appearance on Good Morning America the following morning, broadcasting live from the convention center floor.