So it might not be an MLB game, but I was still excited to go to my first-ever professional baseball game. The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, formerly known as the Jacksonville Suns, played at VyStar Ballpark in downtown Jacksonville, and my friends and I decided to attend one of the home games one Thursday evening.

We chose to go to a Thursday game because these home games offer $2 draft beers and $2 hot dogs, an absolute steal of a deal. And with warm evenings, what better way to spend a day at the ballpark than with a cold Coors Light in one hand and a ketchup- and mustard-topped hot dog the other?

I was pleasantly surprised how entertaining I found the game. My only experience with baseball before this was limited; in essence, I saw a few minutes on TV and found it rather boring. But seeing the game in person is far more exciting, and I suppose one could argue the same for many other sports.

The Jumbo Shrimp have done a great job making their games feel local but still professional. Tickets are inexpensive, interactive games with visitors entertain us between innings, and cameras often pan to the crowd for some exciting challenges.

And the evening ended with a victory for the Jumbo Shrimp!

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor