Now that Villanova proved they are the best team in college basketball by dominating March Madness, it is officially baseball season. The start of the Major League Baseball season is a time for hope, unless you are a Miami Marlins or Tampa Bay Rays fan, then you have no hope, but for fans of the other 28 teams, the first week of April is the first look at how your team will fare for the 162 game season. Whether you are a fan of the defending World Series Champion Houston Astros or a fan of a team coming into a new season with full health like the New York Mets, fans always believe that this is their year. That is the beautiful thing about baseball; as the season starts to turn into spring, America’s pastime starts to shine. From old timers at the ballpark to young kids admiring their favorite players, a baseball game is a place for anyone to have fun. Even though it is now baseball season, it is also playoff time for the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association.
While the MLB gets the attention for the first week of April, it is also when the NBA and NHL stars shine while they strive to capture a championship for their city. The grind of regular season is over and only the best of the best are left as teams in both leagues give max effort day in and day out to win playoff series. Both sports receive criticism from fans and media that they take games off during the season and do not always give max effort, some of the criticism is just, but those critics quiet come playoff time. Will LeBron bring another title to Cleveland after a drama filled season? Will the Las Vegas Knights win the Stanley Cup in their first year as a team? Those are just two storylines to follow throughout April and May. Once each league crowns a champion, it will be at the point in the MLB season where the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders.
As the school year winds down and the intensity of the work increases as professors continue to pack on the work, the level of motivation tends to go down. This is natural as the weather gets nicer, students find more and more ways to procrastinate. While I do not condone the procrastination that I often participate in, a sports game is a perfect way to enjoy the weather while supporting the campus community. If you do not know by now, VWU boasts the #1 softball team in the country, so I suggest going out to see them before they hit the road for the NCAA Tournament. The baseball team is currently on top of the ODAC as well. If baseball or softball does not catch your interest then head out to Birdsong Field and catch the men’s or women’s lacrosse teams in action. VWU is a small community where you often see the same people day in and day out, so I recommend that you go out and support the student-athletes. We are all in this together as we strive towards the end of the semester and into summer vacation.
Nonetheless, it is almost the end of the spring semester, so if the stress of school is getting to you, if campus athletics are not your thing, just take the night off and flip to an early season baseball game or basketball/hockey playoff game to forget about the tribulations of the end of the semester.
Luke Chiasson
lachiasson@vwu.edu
