By Brett Jager

Friday’s game is no ordinary road trip for the Cardinals baseball team; 35 students, sponsored by the athletic department and Thorntons will be traveling to Gainesville to cheer on the No. 16 University of Louisville as they take on No. 23 University of Florida in a three game series.
“This is the paradigm of how I saw us being successful with student spirit,” Trevor Joelson, SGA Student Athletic Director, said. “We are campaigning student groups to be unique, not a student group in the pure sense, but a passionate group. Athletics activated our sponsor with Thorntons to supply each of the students with $50 gas cards. It’s a cost to get down there, but it’s something our students need to be doing.”
Sophomore Biology major Wes Kruse, the president of the group known as the “Bullpen Boozers,” has been waiting anxiously for the series, and was very excited about receiving the funding from athletics.
“Not a day goes by where I’m not either talking about it or further planning the trip,” Kruse said. “Coach McDonnell mentioned to us how much he would love to have us down there for the opening series and how much it would help the team out. We were just recently told that we were also going to get the trip partially paid for by athletics and that just sealed the deal.”
Sophomore Sport Administration major and fellow “Bullpen Boozers” member, Kevin Mohr also cannot wait for the trip, and wholeheartedly loves cheering for the U of L baseball team.
“We love rooting for the baseball team, because they are so down to earth and we know how much they appreciate it,” Mohr said. “I mean how many other schools are willing to help send a group of guys to an away game during the regular season. We just hope that we can do a good enough job along the way so we can root for these guys in Omaha come June.”
The team is also very excited about the notion that 35 students are traveling 1,200 miles to see them play for one weekend. Senior catcher Kyle Cheesebrough is excited and ready to get the season started, especially with some of the home crowd down in Florida.
“I’m excited to get things started and compete against a team like Florida,” Cheesebrough said. “It’s a good test for us guys. I’m pumped that we will have many of our students and fans coming down with us.
It shows great support and maybe to shock the Florida fan a bit and show them we have some of the best fans in college sports.”
Joelson’s job is to find where the interests of students and the Athletic Department lie, and he feels this is a perfect example of that happening. He said he hopes this will open the door for other student groups to follow suit and partake in similar activities.
“This is kind of a crowning moment for the relationship between SGA and Athletics,” Joelson said. “It’s exciting to know these 35 students will be at every home game talking to other students leading to more students attending the games. College is all about unique experiences and the athletic department offering unique experience revolving around one of their teams is really what it’s all about.”
Kruse is amazed with the growth of the “Bullpen Boozers” over the last few years and the effect they have on the Cards and their respective opponents. He has high expectations in making their presence known in Florida.
“I never would have imagined in a million years that we would go from just a couple of guys nagging the opposing teams bullpen two years ago to now U of L paying for us to do what we do best in Gainesville,” Kruse said. “It just goes to show the impact that dedicated fans can have on a game, especially one that often doesn’t get the crowds it deserves. We may be playing in Gainesville, but we’re going to make sure the Cards have the home field advantage!”