CHICAGO | The excitement of Chicago's two first-place baseball teams about to square off was prevalent Friday afternoon as diehard Chicago Cubs and White Sox fans met for one of the nation's favorite pastimes: tailgating.

Plenty of residents from the region were among the fans that filled the lots outside of U.S. Cellular Field before the Cubs and White Sox took to the field.

Schererville resident Chad Mulligan, a White Sox fan, and his friend Doug Robinson, a Cubs fan from Crown Point, chatted about the two teams while having a few drinks before the game.

Both were thrilled their favorite teams are still in first place, but Mulligan joked he couldn't remember the last time the Cubs were playing well.

Robinson quickly reminded Mulligan the Cubs swept the White Sox about a week ago.

Mulligan, who also attended the first game of the series at Wrigley Field last week, said he doesn't get upset when he's teased for rooting for the White Sox. He said if he does get bothered by the comments, he simply reminds Cubs fans the White Sox won the World Series in 2005.

Not surprisingly both Mulligan and Robinson predicted their respective teams would end up winning the series this weekend. Mulligan's team came out ahead Friday -- the White Sox beat the Cubs 10-3.

Valparaiso University's Alumni Association also made it to the game Friday.

Jamie Acton, VU's executive director of Constituent Relations, said he wasn't rooting for one team more than another Friday. He did his best to stay neutral by only wearing VU garb.

He said most of the Valparaiso alumni and staff didn't do too much trash talking before the game, but he expected that to change.

"It will happen in there," Acton said pointing to U.S. Cellular Field.

While the group munched on food Friday, White Sox fan Janet Brown and Cubs fan Elise Alverson, both with VU's College of Nursing, playfully argued over which team was going to win.

"It's our turn to sweep," Brown said about the White Sox. "I have lots of faith."