The College World Series is a lot of things and for one Nebraska family, it’s tradition. Baseball has been in Ashley Schrad and Sandy Petry’s lives for a long time and the pair have been attending the College World Series for more than two decades.In 1996, the duo decided they no longer wanted to sit in general admission seats.“We would get in line at 9 o’clock in the morning and waited until the game started,” Schrad said. They applied for season tickets, but had to get on a waiting list.“First of all they told me a five-year waiting list and I’m like OK, five years is fine. Poor lady, I called there every year after that like where are we on the list, where are we on the list,” Petry said. Those five years would swiftly pass and it wasn’t until 2017 they finally received the email they’ve been waiting on — 21 years later.”I walked out to my husband and I’m like, ‘oh my gosh, I’m going to have heart failure.’ He’s like, ‘what do you mean?’ I go, ‘we have tickets,'” Petry said.Those tickets gave them the seats they wanted and became the start of something new.“Twenty-one years of being on a list and I knew that Ashley and I would be spending a lot of time together even as she grew up,” Petry said.Their tradition now is to attend the opening ceremony and the first four games together, getting a chance to see all eight teams on the diamond.“It is amazing! I have an unbreakable bond with my mom, no matter what. We’ve been through hell and high water together,” Schrad said.Ashley now has two sons and plans to pass on the tradition.“One of them is old enough that he can go with my mom by himself if he wants to,” she said.But for now, they’ll enjoy watching the first pitch, calling those tickets and their bond a home run.“We know change happens, but the memories and love don’t change. It will always be with us even when it’s time to not go anymore,” Petry said.
The College World Series is a lot of things and for one Nebraska family, it’s tradition.
Baseball has been in Ashley Schrad and Sandy Petry’s lives for a long time and the pair have been attending the College World Series for more than two decades.
In 1996, the duo decided they no longer wanted to sit in general admission seats.
“We would get in line at 9 o’clock in the morning and waited until the game started,” Schrad said.
They applied for season tickets, but had to get on a waiting list.
“First of all they told me a five-year waiting list and I’m like OK, five years is fine. Poor lady, I called there every year after that like where are we on the list, where are we on the list,” Petry said.
Those five years would swiftly pass and it wasn’t until 2017 they finally received the email they’ve been waiting on — 21 years later.
“I walked out to my husband and I’m like, ‘oh my gosh, I’m going to have heart failure.’ He’s like, ‘what do you mean?’ I go, ‘we have tickets,'” Petry said.
Those tickets gave them the seats they wanted and became the start of something new.
“Twenty-one years of being on a list and I knew that Ashley and I would be spending a lot of time together even as she grew up,” Petry said.
Their tradition now is to attend the opening ceremony and the first four games together, getting a chance to see all eight teams on the diamond.
“It is amazing! I have an unbreakable bond with my mom, no matter what. We’ve been through hell and high water together,” Schrad said.
Ashley now has two sons and plans to pass on the tradition.
“One of them is old enough that he can go with my mom by himself if he wants to,” she said.
But for now, they’ll enjoy watching the first pitch, calling those tickets and their bond a home run.
“We know change happens, but the memories and love don’t change. It will always be with us even when it’s time to not go anymore,” Petry said.
