How many people can say they got to play hooky from work for a day to go to a College World Series game?! I never thought I would be so lucky, but on Monday, June 22, as a Keyframe Intern accompanied by my supervisor and another co-worker, off I went.  

So it wasn’t exactly playing hooky, but it felt like it when we arrived in Omaha – the atmosphere was wild. The temperature was in the upper 90’s with a heat index nearing 110. We had to drive around the stadium a few times until we got our parking situation figured out, but that gave us a great opportunity to check out the tail-gaiting parties. These were the die-hards determined not to let the intense sun spoil their good time. One group even had a small swimming pool under their tent to beat the heat where they dipped their feet and sipped their beverages. Others were not so lucky, and had to fight their way into the general admission area where they waited for hours in long lines. Their dedication amazed me. There was no shade in sight for these committed fans as we listened to repeated announcements that if we “started to feel dizzy, please head towards one of our emergency tents.” We headed up to the control room (equipped with A/C) to visit our Daktronics/Keyframe colleagues who run the scoreboard for the games, dropped off our bags and went back out into the heat to tour the stadium before the game started. On our way back up through the press elevator, I bumped shoulders with Erin Andrews, one of ESPN’s sportscasters who is no stranger to the College World Series. I couldn’t resist doing a little bragging as I sent out a mass text message to some of my sports-minded friends back home.

Out of the heat and back in the sanctity of the control room, I got a run-down of the equipment and did my best to stay out of the way as the operators went to work after the first pitch. This wasn’t always easy since I’m sometimes known to get a little camera happy! Lambert, the organ player, got us in the mood with “Take me out to the Ball Game,” and really got the crowd going with “God Bless America,” during which four jets flew directly above the stadium. He was entertaining to watch with his 70 year old sheet music that he doesn’t really use…he plays from memory. Lambert has been around since the very beginning and has seen multiple renovations to the facility. He is as much a part of the College World Series as the stadium itself.

Unfortunately, we had to cut the game short, say goodbye to the operators in the booth and start the long drive home. We kept track of the score on the way and realized we missed some pretty exciting moments. In the end, LSU took the prize. It was a good fight, a great game and an incredible day.

(Post By Jessie Wienhold, Keyframe Intern)