Alumni event Southeast Day at Busch Stadium returns after five-year lapse

~The game is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. on April 26 at Busch Stadium where the Cardinals will play against the Pittsburg Pirates

Southeast Day at Busch Stadium is back. A tradition running on 28 years took a halt at Southeast Missouri State University in 2009, but it has made its way back onto Southeast's calendar of events.

The event at Busch Stadium, sponsored by the Alumni Association, was first put together by Southeast alumnus Joe Torrisi back in 1981 as a social event specifically for an exclusive group of alumni.

"It started with just a small group of alumni in the St. Louis area and then it became more popular, especially in [Mark] McGwire's era, so then we opened it up to everyone," Angie Grissom, Alumni Association senior administrative assistant, said.

According to Grissom, Southeast Day at Busch was an annual tradition and was popular mainly in the 90's and early in the past decade but the event really exploded in 1998 when McGwire and Sammy Sosa were in their home run race, with more than 2,000 tickets bought by Southeast alumni.

Director of Alumni Services Jay Wolz recalls Southeast Day at Busch as being one of the most popular events that the Alumni Association has ever put on, but it had been four or five years since the last time it sponsored one.

"Part of the reason that we're able to bring it back now is the Cardinals are handling all of the ticket sales," Wolz said. "We used to have to sell them before my time, before I was the alumni director, but I've heard how this office here was the place where you had to come buy your tickets. We're not in the business of selling tickets here, so we really didn't have the resources to do it."

Wolz said there were a lot of requests from alumni about bringing back Southeast Day at Busch.

"The St. Louis area is our largest single concentration of alumni, with about 20,000 alums in the greater St. Louis area," Wolz said. "We're always interested in doing some sort of marquee event up there. Last year was the football game. We've done events at Grant's Farm and at the Magic House, but Southeast Day at Busch was always a big draw."

Promotions for the event so far have only included social media blasts and a mention in the alumni newsletter, but Wolz said that there has been a lot of great feedback about the event.

"It's not a fundraiser by any means. It's a social event. It's an engaging event for the university," Wolz said.

The tickets that the St. Louis Cardinals are offering cost $20 for both first and third-base line loge seats as well as right and left-field loge. The ticket also includes a voucher for a complimentary hot dog and soft drink.

Regular-priced tickets at Busch Stadium in the allotted Southeast areas can range anywhere from $40 to $70. That also doesn't include the free voucher.

According to Wolz, the last time he checked the numbers there were about 350 tickets sold in the first two and half weeks of ticket sales.

"The Cardinals are really happy about that and those numbers and it's really a bargain," Wolz said. "It's a discount already for the tickets and then they throw in that voucher for a free hot dog and soft drink."

In past years, there is usually an event for anyone from Southeast to get together and relax before the game.

"We'll probably have a pre-game activity before the baseball game," Wolz said. "With a 3:05 game it's perfect for alumni to get together and have a lunch to socialize and then go to the game."

Wolz also added that another interesting feature this year is that the Ballpark Village, a new development at Busch Stadium, will be open. It's just another reason for faculty and staff or anyone to come down and enjoy the game.

The game is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. on April 26 at Busch Stadium where the St. Louis Cardinals will take on the Pittsburg Pirates. Sales for the discounted tickets will go on until April 10 and are limited, but the Cardinals will try to accommodate as many tickets as Southeast students, faculty, staff and alumni want to buy.

"They have to end the sales by April 10th to have enough time to send them all out," Wolz said. "You can't print out the tickets like you can sometimes because they're doing the mail out because they're sending the vouchers too."

Wolz himself being a huge Cardinals fan bought six tickets for just him and his family.

Tickets are only available to purchase online. To purchase tickets go to stlouiscardinals.com/semo.edu.