The fourth floor Brooklyn Bridegrooms pose with the trophy after winning the final whiffle ball playoff game Monday night on the St. John Vianney Quad. The goal of the tournament is to show that the seminarians are “more than just a bunch of guys that pray and study all the time,” pitcher Zach Schaefbauer said. “We have fun [and] we have fraternity.” (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Sophomore David Lewandowski of the Orphans reaches to tag junior Bridegroom Matt Maile as he slides into first base. The 15th annual spring tournament consisted of eight regular-season games and two playoff games. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
A large crowd roots for the seminarian teams from floors three and four in front of the John Vianney Seminary building Monday night. “It’s so much better … if we can get a good crowd out there,” Schaefbauer said. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
The fourth floor returning team concludes a pep talk with a cheer before the fifth inning. The Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the fourth floor scored in the top of the sixth inning and won the game 1-0. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
The Chicago Orphans’ pitcher and junior Mitch Dietrich winds up for his throw. There are two teams per floor in the SJV Seminary. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Sophomore Daniel Kudwa prepares to bat for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. The seminarians’ goal in hosting the games was to reach non-seminarian St. Thomas students and show that the seminarian students are “totally normal guys [who] just like to have a fun time,” Bridegroom coach Jacob Degele said. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Sophomore Max Marko (right) prepares to run to third base while sophomore Ben Wanner (left) plays the field. Degree said he was “under so much pressure, with … two outs, bases loaded,” during the top of the sixth inning. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Schaefbauer begins his pitch, sighting the batter at home plate. Schaefbauer said the seminarians “want to show the joy of Christ living in a community” through the sports they play, which include football in the fall, basketball in the winter and whiffle ball in the spring. (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
Senior Matthew Goldammer holds up the trophy as the Bridegrooms celebrate their close victory by pouring Gatorade on Degele. Junior and coach Jacob Degele said although the team was nervous for the game and about the weather, he “knew [they] were going to win.” (Natalie Hall/TommieMedia)
The St. John Vianney Seminary Brooklyn Bridegrooms won the final whiffle ball playoff game of the annual tournament hosted by St. John Vianney Seminary May 9.
The fourth-floor returning Bridegrooms defeated the third-floor returning Chicago Orphans 1-0 during the sixth and final inning of the game.
The Bridegrooms’ coach junior Jacob Degele said the seminarians host the game in order to connect with other students on campus. They “wanted to bring a lot of non-seminarian students to the game … because as [those] who showed up today noticed, we have a lot of fun as seminarians playing whiffle ball games, and we’re totally normal guys.”
Each floor of the St. John Vianney Seminary is divided into two teams: returning men and new men. The teams play eight regular-season games and then engage in bracket play in two playoff games.
The seminarians also play football in the fall, basketball in the winter and whiffle ball in the spring as a way to interact with other university students and demonstrate God’s glory in their actions. They also aim to present themselves as normal, approachable students and men.
Natalie Hall can be reached at hall0224@stthomas.edu.