Wearing collared shirts and holding drinks, the longtime supporters of Ball State University baseball looked over baseballs and bats bearing the signatures of Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Ozzie Smith, Bob Gibson and Duke Snider.
They gathered Saturday in the Alumni Center for Meet the Team night.
It was a far cry from their appearance in the Ball Diamond bleachers.
"There are a lot of regulars," senior pitcher Tom Mueller said. "You see them come out to the games, the diehards with their headphones in listening to the radio. Its a mutual love."
In addition to the speeches and introduction of this year's Cardinals, there was a silent auction featuring baseball memorabilia and a live auction to support the team. Auctioneer Donnie Houseman said the team could raise as much as $10,000 to 20,000.
"It's a good way to kick off the year," Houseman said. "The camaraderie really starts here."
Houseman said he was most looking forward to auctioning autographed pictures of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and former Cincinnati Reds player Pete Rose.
The night also brought out Kyle Heyne, who was a part of the team for five years before getting drafted by the San Diego Padres last year.
"It's a good event for Ball State," Heyne said. "I get to give back to the program and follow up on them."
Heyne said he hoped this year's team would be able to have more success than last year's team, which finished fifth in the Mid-American Conference.
"I always expect them to win a conference championship," Heyne said. "They have to get better every day."
Longtime-fan Richard Perry said he supports the team because he likes baseball and graduated from Ball State in 1964.
"I enjoy watching the kids play and develop," Perry said. "Its good to be out in the sunshine. I try and go when I can."
It will still be a month before the regulars start piling into the bleachers as the Cardinals hit the road for their first 14 games.
"They have to go south," Perry said. "Last year the weather was reasonably good, but its tough starting here in mid-March."
Ball State begins the season on Feb. 20 in Greenville, S.C., against Furman University. But after a week of practice, the fans were able to get their first glimpse of the team.
"The night in general is fun," Mueller said. "Everyone's so interested in how the team's going to be and how my arm feels."
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