Hot and humid air fills the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Monday, Oct. 10, 2011 . The fans are on their feet. The bases are loaded and Nelson Cruz steps up to bat. As soon as the ball connects with the bat, the crowd bursts with excitement. For math teacher Jessica Ray, the best part is being able to share the experience with her family.

Throughout her lifetime, Ray has been to approximately 100 Texas Rangers baseball games. Ray began attending games as a child at the old Rangers ballpark.

“I’ve liked baseball my whole life,” Ray said. “My dad loves baseball so I grew up watching it and I started loving it. I just think it’s so fun to watch. The thing I like about baseball is that it’s never over. In other sports, it’s timed. Once the time is up the game is over, but in baseball you always have time. If there is another out, you can always come back and win.”

Ray said her family treats the opening day of baseball like a holiday.

“The day before, my sister and I go buy new Ranger t-shirts and watch the game together,” Ray said. “My family has a group text message for baseball games and that’s all we talk about. The other night, there was a really good game and we were talking about it the whole night.”

In 2010, the Rangers made it to the World Series. In celebration, Ray and her sister decided to get tattoos of the Rangers logo that are now permanently placed on the top of Ray’s foot.

“Ever since we were younger, my sister and I always joked that if we ever got a tattoo, it would be a Rangers tattoo,” Ray said. “We are both kind of conservative, but we both said, ‘Why not?’ We always said that if the Rangers ever make it to the World Series we would get the tattoo. They didn’t have to win, they just had to go.”

Ray’s classroom and home contains memorabilia from past games she has attended.

“In my living room I have a bookshelf that has a ball I got from spring training, some bobble heads that I’ve gotten at games, some picture frames and people have made me stuff,” Ray said. “In my classroom I have several posters and stuff like that. I don’t like to spend money on Rangers stuff unless it’s cheap. I would rather spend money on going to games.”

Ray’s favorite game was an American League Championship Series game she attended when Nelson Cruz hit a walk-off grand slam and won the game for the Rangers.

“We were all ready for the game to be over and ready to win it,” Ray said. “It’s a playoff game so it’s really important. As soon as Cruz hit the ball, people just freaked out. Being in an atmosphere where everybody loves baseball as much as me is the best thing ever.”