For many Cardinal fans, today is a holiday in St. Louis, because the first game of the 2025 baseball season starts at 3:15 p.m.
One South student who considers herself a Cardinal fan is junior Jolie Spencer.
“I look forward to watching the games with my family, so I’m very excited about the season starting,” said Spencer.
To prepare for Opening Day, the Cardinals first had to put in the work in at Spring Training in Jupiter, Florida. The Cardinals seem to have a promising outlook for the season, with talented new and returning players. The Cardinals hope to improve on last year’s 83-79 record. Last year the Cardinals finished second in the National League Central division behind the Milwaukee Brewers.
“My favorite player to watch is second baseman Nolan Gorman, so I’m excited to see how he plays this season,” said junior Colin Arnold.
As the team continued to put in the hard work during the spring practices, the coaches hoped to solidify their dream team, as they have a competitive season ahead of them. Oliver Marmol will remain as the manager of the Cardinals this year, alongside former Cardinal Daniel Descalso as the bench coach. Dusty Blake is returning as the pitching coach for the redbirds.
Spring training is an exciting time for baseball fans. Fans can follow along online to see how their favorite teams are performing and preparing for the upcoming season. Some dedicated Cardinals fans can take a trip to Jupiter, Florida, to see their team in person, and if they’re lucky enough, may even score a picture with their favorite player.
“I hope the team will do better than last year, and I think they needed more practice after last season,” said freshman Jack Greminger.
The Cardinals are doing everything they can to make sure they are putting their best foot forward this year. They are making sure their line-up is perfect and all of the players are happy and ready to go. Today’s starting pitcher, returning for his second year as a Cardinal, is Sonny Gray. Many Cardinal fans were hoping the team could unload the contract of third baseman Nolan Arenado after his disappointing 2024 season, but he is back with the team. Also, fans were hoping the Cardinals would spend some money and sign new players in the offseason, but that didn’t happen.
Spring training 2025 is one to remember for sure, but the Cardinals didn’t perform as well as many fans probably hoped. They ended the spring with a 12-15 record.
“I’ve enjoyed following along with spring training, and I hope the Cardinals continue to do well throughout their season,” said junior Colin Arnold.
Many dedicated fans have been counting down the days till Opening Day. Here at South, some students will be leaving school early to get down to Busch Stadium in time for the festivities.
One highlighted player who went above and beyond during spring training this year was Brendan Donovan, who was named team MVP in 2024, and is one of the best hitters on the team. He is being set up to have his best season yet.
With a lot of teamwork, practice, and effort, there are very high hopes for the Cardinals this year. No NL Central team is expected to run away with the title this year, so many Cardinals fans are hoping the team can surprise its critics.
