Reds Opening Day is like a holiday here in Cincinnati. Thousands of people crowd the streets of Cincinnati, anxiously waiting for the first pitch of the baseball season. People love the overall culture of baseball. Every home run or strikeout, the food, and the overall atmosphere make it amazing to watch. The main thing that gets people excited for the baseball season though is Opening Day, the first home game of the season.

Reds superfan and Seven Hills junior Nathan Asfaw actually was able to attend the Opening Day game. Nathan said, “The energy was electric, and although the Reds lost it was still a great time and the vibes were great.”

Despite the majority of students in Cincinnati being Reds fans, sophomore Matia Kastner is a huge Cleveland Guardians fan. The Reds and Guardians being in the same state comes with a huge rivalry. Kastner said he embraces this rivalry and that his favorite part of the rivalry is winning and being able to talk to his classmates about the game. Kastner said, “My favorite part of baseball season is seeing my favorite player, Steven Kwan, hit home runs. I expect big things from the Cleveland Guardians this year, but I’m not sure how the Reds will do this year.”

Sophomore Gabe Herman said he thinks the Reds will win 100 or more games this year and win the division. He also believes that Elly De La Cruz will be a front-runner for the NL MVP and that the Reds have a real chance of winning the World Series.

Senior William Huguenin attended Opening Day for the first time, and as a former San Francisco resident, his loyalties lay outside of the state–beyond the Reds or even the Guardians. After attending Opening Day, Huguenin said, “I always wanted to attend an Opening Day game at Great American. There was such an amazing fan base, and of course, I loved getting to see the Giants win.”

Opening Day brings with it the excitement of another baseball season: days at the ballpark featuring hot dogs, peanuts, and many other delicious foods like a baseball hat with nachos inside of it. There is nothing like baseball culture itself: going out to a game with your family or friends in good weather and watching a fun but not too serious game. Overall baseball season is a very fun and competitive time and it should be very exciting to see how the season plays out.