Alumni and friends of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came together for a fun weekend at the ballpark in Florida. Coordinated by the SIUE Alumni Association, the two-day event celebrated Cougar pride while giving alumni a chance to connect, reminisce on good times and cheer on the St. Louis Cardinals.

The fun began Saturday, March 22 at the Homewood Suites in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. Alumni and friends had a chance to sit down with friends, share stories and re-connect fueled by their common interest, SIUE.

The next day, the excitement continued the SIUE crowd packed the Cassidy Cool Zone and stands at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium to cheer on the St. Louis Cardinals as they took on the Washington Nationals. Provost and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Denise Cobb, PhD, attended on behalf of the University. Cobb highlighted the importance of engaging alumni in her remarks: "Our alumni and friends are incredibly important to the mission of the University. We have alumni engage in so many ways—they serve on advisory boards, provide internship and employment opportunities for our students, and offer advice and guidance, which matters immensely in the lives of our students."

The key area of the event was the SIUE Alumni section in the Cassidy Cool Zone on the first base side of the stadium, where guests enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet of ballpark food staples. The game, which began at 1:05 p.m. EST, was the perfect setting for alumni to reunite under the sun and show their Cougar pride. SIUE alumnus and former SIUE Baseball pitcher Dawson Taylor (‘24), currently an MBA candidate in SIUE School of Business, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

"This event has become such a great tradition of connecting SIUE alumni and friends who are also Cardinals fans for a weekend of fun," said Cathy Taylor, Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of Alumni & Donor Relations. "We are always grateful that our alums and friends make the trip to support our University. It’s our pleasure to create an event where they can catch up, share stories and cheer on the Cardinals together."

The SIUE Alumni Association encourages alumni to continue their relationship and involvement with the University for future events. Anyone interested in attending a future gathering can always contact the SIUE Office of Alumni & Donor Relations at 618-650-2345 or siuealumni@siue.edu. 
 
PHOTO: Scenes from 2025 Cougars on the Move