The door opens, and the crowd cheers. They walk to home plate, then to first, and finish by sprinting to second and third. The crowd begins to start the wave. The smell of kettle corn and hotdogs looms in the air. They can see the thousands of people cheering. But the fans will never see their actual faces. 

For juniors Bryant Bishop and Dylan Schneider, this is routine. As the mascots of the state-renowned baseball team, The Charleston RiverDogs, this blend of mystery and performance is all too familiar. 

Schneider has been with the team for several months, and it all started here at Wando. 

“The hiring manager sent out an email to a bunch of…high schools and especially theater teachers, and I talked to my teacher who was like ‘Hey, anybody interested?’, and I raised my hand,” said Schneider. “There were a couple people that showed up to the interview, and I was the only one who stuck through it.” 

Following the interview process, Schneider began working as the mascot of the RiverDogs. He was quickly joined by Bryant Bishop, a friend and colleague of Schneider. 

“I thought it was pretty cool,” Bishop said. “We work during baseball season…there’s [also] a lot of events in the off-season that we can do.”

Dressing up in costume and performing is something out of the ordinary, especially at a sporting event. For Schneider, this became a reality he had to learn to overcome. 

“I was a little nervous because I wasn’t really used to being in a costume like that, especially in front of a lot of people, but luckily I had the other RiverDogs [mascot] there, and s

he helped me know what to do and where to go,” Schneider said. 

With baseball season now in full swing, both Schneider and Bishop have had to dramatically grow in both mental and physical skills.

“[It’s] definitely people skills. It’s a little bit easier due to you being in a dog costume. They can’t really see your face or anything. It’s an endurance thing because the suit’s heavy and it gets hot in there,” Schneider said. 

Various options come with the strenuous task of representing the team. Bishop has especially enjoyed putting on a false character. 

“There’s Charlie T. RiverDog and Chelsea T. RiverDog. So there [are] two mascots,” Bishop said. 

In addition to enjoying the interactions that come with such a large sporting event, being the mascot of such a renowned team has come with its share of mishaps. 

“While [Schneider] was the mascot a few weeks ago, it was Pork Chop Night,” Bishop said.

Pork Chop Night was not the only time that Schneider found himself stuck in a trough. Throughout the season, he has caused his share of comedy. 

“I was leaning over a chair, and there was a couple in front of me, and I managed to tap both their shoulders and dive back. So I watched them sit there super confused looking back and forth,” Schneider said. 

Despite being renowned characters at the games, the pair have found themselves victim to stereotypes. Bishop in particular has triumphed through and overcome these challenges. 

“I just get looks across the classroom…but the teachers are really excited to hear that,” Bishop said. “I love my job, and honestly not many people can say that.” 

The same is true for Schneider, as he has first-hand experience of the value that the mascots add to the game. 

“It brings energy. We’re out there hyping up the crowd if it’s the seventh inning stretch, we’re standing on dugouts dancing, singing along, or just going around taking pictures with people [and] making people’s days great,” Schneider said. “Some people like them as emotional support whether…they’re in a dark place or whether they just want to have more fun at the game.” 

Both Schneider and Bishop recognize the paramount role they play for the RiverDogs. For Schneider, his personality is one that is built for making people’s days. 

“I’m a big people pleaser, and seeing kids light up…it cheers me up immediately when kids have big smiles,” Schneider said. 

Gallery • 4 Photos

Mackenzie Moore

Junior Bryant Bishop functions as one of the mascot's handlers. "Schneider pointed to somewhere that he was going to go [and] I basically just have to follow him around," Bishop said.