The boys – and girls – of summer are back and playing (i.e. drinking) harder than ever, as Major League Summer Baseball (MLSB), Laurier’s student-run summer baseball league, begins its annual beer-filled season.
The league combines the classic summer pastime of baseball with the classic year-round pastime of drinking to make for an incredible experience for all who take part.
“On top of being a baseball league, we also like to drink some beer,” said league convenor and fifth-year business student Tim Soroka.
“Obviously, students love drinking and we have so many events and so many people who get involved. Being involved in the league for a few years, we know what it takes to throw a good party.”
The MLSB was founded in 1992 as a small baseball league intending to provide business co-op students who were stuck in school over the summer months with something to do.
Over the years, the league has grown drastically and now involves almost 700 students.
While the majority of the league is still made up of business students, the numbers from other faculties have begun to grow.
“Anyone who’s around in the summer is invited to come out,” said Soroka. “We want to get as many people involved as possible so it’s not just a clique[…] It’s a great opportunity for students to meet each other, hang out and enjoy the summer.”
Along with its growing numbers, MLSB has also become famous for the social events that its convenors organize.
They put on larger annual events such as a white water rafting trip to Ottawa, a camping trip to Formosa, Ontario (for the league’s all-star game) and an authentic Beerfest. At this event, participants represent their nations and compete in various drinking games.
To go along with these more extravagant events, there are smaller, more frequent ones. These include things like Flip Cup Fridays, Front Row Wednesdays – where a kegger is held as a pre-drink before the entire party moves to Front Row Sports Bar – as well as various parties that occur throughout the summer.
No matter what the occasion, the goal remains the same. To “get everyone involved […] and drink a lot of beer and have a good time,” as Soroka puts it.
When he says a lot of beer, he means it.
After the first week and half of their season, the league had already polished off 52 kegs, with a season-long goal of 300.
No experience is required to join one of the league’s 32 local-business sponsored teams, and students can sign up as part of a team or as a free-agent.
“We’re just trying to get everyone out, and get them active in between classes so they’re not just working and studying all the time,” said Soroka.
“We want to include everyone. I’ve seen people who’ve never played baseball before come out and have a blast.”
