I felt like a major-league player. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We had fun doing it. We don’t care if we lost, but we had as much fun as possible.”

Andrew Runge

Around midday Wednesday, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Jordan Walker along with the rest of the St. Louis Cardinals took the field at Busch Stadium.

Not long after, Andrew Runge, Tyson Carr, Matt McCurdy and Sam Ryan and the rest of the Mexico Bulldogs patrolled the outfield grass and kicked up the dirt on the Cardinals’ field.

Mexico played Highland (Illinois) in a nine-inning amateur showcase at the same place Albert Pujols played his farewell season, Yadier Molina caught countless would-be basestealers and Adam Wainwright recorded the final out of one of two World Series won by the Cardinals at the ballpark.

The Bulldogs lost 8-1 but made their own memories that are much more indelible than streaks in the dirt. Senior Andrew Runge finished the game with a single and a stolen base – two feats he has accomplished many times on a baseball field. Still, Wednesday’s feats felt more special.

“I felt like a major-league player,” Runge said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We had fun doing it. We don’t care if we lost, but we had as much fun as possible.”

When Mexico needed some help on the mound, it called upon sophomore Tyson Carr to relieve senior starter Jack Wilburn.

Unlike his usual surroundings, Carr warmed up in the bullpen just beyond the outfield at Busch Stadium, and when he received the signal, he trotted the longer distance. Each foot Carr covered felt special as he made sure to soak it in.

“It’s a lot different here than a regular baseball field. That’s for sure,” Carr said. “Even bullpens, usually our bullpens are right outside (the dugout), but with calls to the bullpen, you come all the way around the field. It’s like an actual call to the bullpen. That’s a pretty cool jog to the mound.”

Carr came in with bases loaded in the third inning and needed some time to settle down. He was able to end his day with three straight outs recorded, including a well-executed rundown by his defense.

“You’ve just got to let the nerves settle,” Carr said. “When the nerves settle, you get in rhythm and you start throwing strikes, it’s pretty good.”

Head coach Daniel McCarty said he was able to provide Carr and the rest of his players the rare opportunity after coming in contact with the Cardinals. Knowing that the organization hosts amateur games, McCarty submitted his bid and was happy when the Bulldogs were selected.

McCarty plans to try again next year as he wants more in the future to bask in the enriching environment.

“It’s a special occasion,” McCarty said. “It could be a once-a-year thing, but I’m thinking it could possibly be every other year maybe. It’s definitely a possibility for next year.”

Senior Matt McCurdy was in awe as soon as the Bulldogs walked through the gate in right field to the encompassing sights of the stadium.

“Walking out from right field onto the field and coming into the Cardinals’ dugout is probably one of the things I’ll remember the most,” McCurdy said. “It was so surreal like the whole surroundings with the buildings and Arch behind everything.”

Beyond the white lines, McCurdy said he will always remember the inside of the radio booth that hovers above home plate as he and several players were fortunate to see that. He said some Bulldogs even exchanged words with some major-league players during batting practice.

When the game started, McCurdy acknowledged that nerves hung over Mexico much like clouds did for much of the Cardinals’ 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Even while the surroundings are grandiose, he said they can’t stay on the field.

“At any moment, you’ve just got to calm yourself down — deep breath in and breathe it all out,” McCurdy said. “Relax and just focus on the game.”

Mexico trailed Highland 8-0 in the eighth inning after some offense in the earlier innings. The Bulldogs were able to touch the plate in the eighth inning when sophomore Sam Ryan grounded out to score freshman Drew DeMint. They each picked up hits at Busch along with Runge and sophomore Coop Bledsoe.

Ryan thought the whole day was “a blast” as he was able to take in some Cardinal baseball with his teammates and then make some plays on the diamond where some of the best players in the world were hours ago. At third base, Ryan dove to prevent a ball from going down the line to save a run on a play and then later started a double play in the fifth inning.

“I was a little nervous before the start of the game, but as the game went on, I got more comfortable,” Ryan said. “After my first at-bat, I just got zoned in. Over at third base, I just blocked all the noises out.”

McCarty said that was a big reason he thought this experience was needed for his team. Of course, he wanted to give his players a fun experience like they had at the Topgolf entertainment venue on Tuesday and visiting the uncommon areas of Busch on Wednesday. However, Mexico still has a majority of the season ahead of them and were looking to snap a five-game skid with its 8-1 loss to Highland.

“I hope the kids learn from it and fight those nerves because we’ve got more games to come along with that uptempo (pace) and crunch time, “ McCarty said. “Hopefully, we can fight those nerves and keep battling through it.”

McCurdy and the rest of the Bulldogs are grateful they had the opportunity to spend special time in what is deemed by many to be Baseball Heaven.

“This (experience) is up there,” McCurdy said. “This is the best thing I’ve probably ever done.”