Twins dominate facebook groups

After spring training, the Minnesota Twins did not appear to be the same American League Central Champions from last season. The UW-River Falls students who created Facebook groups about the team are doing their best to keep the dream of winning another title alive.

The fact that UWRF students on Facebook have twice as many Twins groups as Milwaukee Brewers groups leads some students to believe it’s because River Falls is closer to the Metrodome than Miller Park.

Junior Drew Hruska said he thinks going to Twins games is affordable in comparison to a Brewers game.

“The season the Twins had compared to the Brewers last year made it so Twins jerseys were worn on campus more,” he said.

Hruksa said another reason there might be more Twins fans on campus is due to television.

“The Twins games are televised on FSN (Fox Sports Net) North, but I’m not sure if the dorms got rid of it or not,” he said.

Hruska said he created the group “Hardcore Twins Fans” as soon as UWRF had access to Facebook.

“I wanted to create a group about the Twins before anyone else did,” he said. “Also, it’s a good place to post messages about the Twins with your peers and discuss how the season might go.”

Sophomore Jake Nichols said he thinks there are a lot of UWRF Twins fans because students from Iowa and the Dakotas do not have teams in Major League Baseball.

Nichols, who is in the Facebook group “I Love Joe Mauer!!” said he joined because Mauer is one of his favorite athletes.

“I think girls like Joe Mauer because of three things: his amazing talent, his looks and he is a homegrown boy from Minnesota,” he said. “Those three things make him extra popular with the girls.”

Junior Jara Hartigan said she created a Twins Facebook group to show her pride for the team.

“I grew up watching them with my mom and just got really into it,” she said. “I go to a lot of games and just got back from spring training.”

Senior Breamber Syverson created a group in honor of “baseball hotties,” which specifically names Joe Mauer.

“I didn’t create a group about the Twins, but if I did it would be because Mauer, Cuddyer and Morneau are hot,” she said.

Syverson, who said her favorite baseball team is the Brewers, agreed with Hruska that because UWRF is located closer to the Twins’ stadium, more students are Twins fans.

“Twins games are televised here where Brewers games aren’t,” Syverson said.

Sophomore Ryan Freese created a group dedicated to Kirby Puckett, who won two World Series with the Twins in 1987 and 1991.

“I created the Kirby Puckett group because I have followed him ever since I was born,” Freese said. “He has been very inspirational toward me and I loved the way he played the game of baseball.”

Freese agreed with the other creators of Facebook groups and said it is convenient for UWRF students to watch the Twins.

He also said because UWRF is home to many students from Minnesota, their love for the team might travel across the border.

“I think the reason for the many Twins groups at UWRF is that so many people come over here from the cities and they all follow the Twins,” Freese said.

For those students who were worried about the Twins season, the season is off to a good start. The Twins beat the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 7-4 in the season opener on Monday. Minnesota picked up a second victory on Tuesday, beating Baltimore 3-2. Minnesota took the AL Central lead with a 7-2 victory over Baltimore Wednesday night. The next Twins game will be Friday against the Chicago White Sox at 7:11 p.m.