Softball bats a thousand among students
Christopher Novak
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Features
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Two Sundays before the tournament, team representatives must register their teams. Every team that registers is guaranteed one game, but the first 32 to sign up get a free game on the Thursday prior to the weekend. To be one of those top teams, captains wait in line hours before the noon registration time, attempting to ensure two games.
"After a fifth year being here (the tournament is) still fun, and it never gets old," Ryan Steele, a graduate student, said. "Aside from that, the whole draft process is incredible. I don't think there's any school out there who has students line up starting at dawn to register."
Steele, who attended undergraduate school at the university, will have one more opportunity to compete with his friends.
"Last year we figured it would be our last time together, but then we got another chance this year," he said. "The fun level has stayed the same. This year is definitely the last time we're doing it. We're going to try to have a blast since it's the last time around."
Although forming a team with friends and competing in the tournament is important, it's only one aspect of the weekend. Being the last weekend before finals, many look at this as their last chance to drink with their friends before heading home for summer break.
"We're all seniors this year," Kelly Jackson, a journalism and mass communication major, said. "On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the most important, fun will be the most important. Drinking will be 9.99."
Jackson said she put together a team of anyone and everyone who didn't want to be on a team that took the tournament seriously.
"We don't really have a game plan; we don't even have positions yet," she said. "I do know everyone is really excited to be on our team, and everyone is ready to support everyone else."
Even though Jackson said fun is the main priority, she admitted winning would be something special.
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