LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Jockeys is the city's newest baseball team, kicking off their inaugural season this week.

The team is made up of college baseball players from all over the country. The team, ranging from junior college to Division I players, will play 40 baseball games in 49 days.

The first game is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Spalding University's Derby City Field.

The Jockeys join the Ohio Valley League, making up 10 teams across Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

"This allows college guys to come home or come in the summer time and play," said Michael Clark, head coach and general manager of the Jockeys. "They'll be able to play in a wooden bat league which is different from their college season because in their college season they're using aluminum."

A majority of the players met for the first time Memorial Day weekend. 

Clark's first time seeing them practice outside, was Tuesday afternoon, 24 hours before their first game.

"It’ll be a jump in, sink or swim kind of thing but baseball is baseball, we just have to figure out what guys can do real fast," Clark said.

Players from out of town will spend the summer living in Louisville with a host family.

Shortstop Jonah Wichman is staying with Clark's family.

"Hopefully, I play well this summer, and it won't bite me in the butt too much," Wichman said.

Wichman, originally from Columbus, Indiana, plays Division I baseball at University of Tennessee-Martin. He joins a roster with some rivals from his high school baseball days.

"It's great you always have those rivalries," Wichman said. "There's a guy I played against in my conference in high school, and just getting to know him now being teammates is going to be fun."

Other Jockey players include alumni from Trinity, Saint Xavier, Pleasure Ridge Park, and Eastern high schools.

While it's the first season the team will ever play, there are high expectations.

"First thing they said when they got here is they want to win the league," Clark said. "There’s gotta be one winner so it might as well be us this first summer.” 

The first 100 people at Wednesday's home opener will receive a free Jockeys T-shirt.

For more information and tickets, click here.

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