Eureka College Men’s Baseball is off to a great start this season. They have a record of 6-11 going into the weekend. We wish them the best of luck as they continue their season. On that same page, Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is set for March 30th. Major League seasons consist of 162 games that typically wrap up towards the end of September. According to ESPN, top picks for this season are the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves. It is a widespread consensus that “The Braves simply have the best team.” The Padres on the other hand, “…are the most intriguing, most compelling and most combustible team in the major leagues.” Being located in the middle of major league teams, such as the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, have led to the age-old debate of Cubs vs. Cards.

EC junior Brenden Eigenbrod is a tried-and-true STL Cardinals fan. After watching the opening day game on Thursday, he said “After watching the game yesterday, I think they will do pretty well this season. They are contenders to win the division.” On the contrary, Dr. Geraths is an LA Dodgers fan. In terms of outlook on the season he says, “I hope they win the NL west, win the playoffs, and I think they have a decent chance of winning the World Series.” Dr. Harlin is a “…third generation Mets fan.” She is very optimistic for this season after the fantastic season they had last year, winning more than 100 games and making it to the Wild Card round. “This season we have some new, young talent plus Justin Verlander! This is absolutely our year for the National League Championship. As any Mets fan will tell you, You Gotta Believe!!” Dr. Harlin said.

Along with Opening Day this year come several rule changes. The rule changes include a pitch timer, shift restrictions, as well as bigger bases. The goal of these changes is to have more action and a better pace of play. The most common complaint of fans watching baseball is that it is a slow game. Hopefully, with these changes, baseball will become more engaging for fans and an even more enjoyable game to watch. There are 15 scheduled games for opening day, you can find the schedule here. Whether you are a Cubs or Cards fan, the race to October starts now.