Sonoma State students got the chance to watch the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s go head to head in the annual Battle of the Bay on April 26. The crowd was roaring in anticipation of the game while SSU students made their way to the bleachers to watch the action unfold from leftfield. This event, put on by Student Involvement, had a limited number of tickets for any Seawolves to purchase. 

Nicholas Lerseth, an English major at Sonoma State, offered his thoughts on attending the Giants game, “My favorite part of the trip was being able to get out and go to a major event like this. It reminded me of the way things were before the pandemic hit. I loved when the crowd went absolutely insane after the Giants hit their first three-run home run of the game.” Lerseth then went on to share how the crowd was so overwhelmed with excitement, everyone began high-fiving. “If there is another getaway trip, with the Giants involved, sign me up.”

The home run ball that Wilmer Flores hit was caught by a fan sitting in the same section as all of the Sonoma State students. Later on in the game, by a stroke of luck, Giant’s player Austin Slater hit another three-run homer. Eventually the Giants defeated the A’s 8-2. 

Sonoma State student, Laura Lacalle, discussed her experience on the getaway trip, “This is my second getaway trip and they’re so much fun. You don’t have to deal with things like driving or paying for parking, it is extremely convenient and way cheaper. Plus it is a great way to enjoy a game with friends or meet new people from campus.” 

Before the departure to San Francisco, students met in front of the SSU police station. Two sprinter vans transported everyone to watch the Giants play the A’s. Upon arrival, students were able to discover Oracle Park freely. There were many different food options to choose from, like famous Gilroy garlic fries and Ghirardelli ice cream sundaes. There were also vendors walking up and down each section with hot dogs or other snacks for fans to purchase.  

Solomon Marcus, another student that attended the getaway trip, shared his favorite part of the game, “I have always loved going to Giants games throughout my life, but it was very fun to go with other people from Sonoma State. I absolutely would attend another getaway trip because I’ve had so much fun on all of the other SSU trips I’ve gone on.”

Seawolves were offered transportation to and from the game included in the purchase of the $28 ticket. This offered an opportunity for students to get connected and interact with one another. 

Student Involvement’s main goal is to help and encourage students to get further involved on campus. Seawolves can access the “Get Engaged” tile via Online Services to find events to attend as well as club organizations to join. 

The next getaway trip is a free event on May 7. Sonoma State students will travel to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve to hike. This will give students an opportunity to discover more of the Guerneville area. Anyone who is interested can sign up for this event on the first floor of the Student Center or can get tickets online  at tickets.sonoma.edu.