It’s going to be a good time for spectators at Suplizio Field this spring. The Mavericks are ranked No. 20 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and are picked to win RMAC again, led by Preseason Pitcher of the Year Nolan Snell. But ASG’s decision Wednesday will add a new dimension to enjoying America’s pasttime. In a 7-2 vote, ASG has elected to serve beer at CMU baseball games, starting this spring.

The decision shows that times are still changing on campus. It’s also a popular choice for many students, as many good times often include the presence of beer. But the new ballpark beverage may have a positive impact.

Almost everyone who has ever gone to a game that serves beer knows that beer is expensive. Everyone complains, but since beer and sports go well together, people are willing to pay the price, whatever it is. Hopefully the prices are nice to the college student budget, but whatever they set it at, it will bring in a nice profit. Beer will probably be the most popular item at the game, so the money coming from it will be much help financially.

Serving alcohol at games should decrease the number of people that get drunk prior to games. That will give administration and security a better grasp at controlling the crowd and their beer intake. The people who serve at concessions may have an easier time keeping track of how much beer a person has had and can cut them off if they feel that person has had enough. It may also decrease the amount of alcohol sneaked into games, since they can get their alcohol at games now.

It’s possible that some students will sneak beer to their underaged friends. Unless there’s security in every section, then that could be problematic. And since deciding who’s had enough beer is a judgement call, hopefully the concessionaires don’t wait until it is too late to cut off some drunks. But that’s an issue at every ballpark, and it never seems to be a major problem.

In the fall, ASG will have to present this spring’s alcohol sales and how everything went in order to deem it successful. If it is, it will be up to them to choose to expand the efforts of selling beer at other sporting events. Ultimately, it’s up to the students and their actions to make it a success. Can we all be responsible enough to drink and enjoy the Mavericks? This is the perfect first step in order to answer that question and to enjoy hops at CMU games.