The Saint Louis Cardinals Caravan came to Rolla High School on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. The Caravan featured major league Cardinals alumni, current and future players, as well as sports commentators for the team. Team members signed autographs, answered questions, and offered fans a sneak-peak of what to expect for the future season. 

Additionally, the caravan hosted a media Q&A before the main event, and ECHO staff had the unique opportunity to sit down with a few of the players and ask some curveball questions. The experience was refreshingly informal, and the athletes were open to conversations. 

Many players, such as Leonardo Bernal, a catcher and number 44 on the Cardinals, have played for the Cardinals for five seasons and is a 2025 MiLB Gold Glove winner. He shared multiple fun facts like his favorite foods. In his words, “Post game, I really go to the cornflakes cereal.” Similarly, number 62, pitcher Kyle Leahy, was open about his distaste for Doritos, with multiple of the staff and players teasing him for it. 

The majority of the players were multi-sport athletes during their own high school careers. Unexpectedly, however, many of them played hockey in high school. Cardinals scout Kerry Robinson, a former outfielder and the first player in Cardinals history to sport the number zero uniform, played hockey for all four years of high school in addition to baseball. In both sports he holds the record highest points scored in a hockey game and batting average. 

Despite being from Saint Louis, the Cardinals Caravan actually has some unexpected connections to the Rolla area. Number 11 Victor Scott II, center fielder on the team, is familiar with the area. 

“I got family in St. James so … I actually come up here a lot during the season, helps me feel like I’m getting away from baseball, to be able to come … up here and hang out with them, and go fishing and just go be with family,” Scott said.

After meeting with the media, the event shifted to the Fans. Entertained by the team mascot Fredbird, the fans approached excitedly to ask questions about the upcoming season, favorite team moments, and up-and-coming player J.J. Wetherholt’s feelings on his first year in the major league. With a big thank you to their fans, the Cardinals Caravan continued on their way.

The first Cardinals game of the season will be on Thursday Mar. 26, against the Rays, with their first spring training being on Saturday, Feb. 26 against the Nationals.