Left Field Lounge
The Left Field Lounge is the area beyond the outfield fence in Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium at Mississippi State University. It is truly unique in college baseball,[1] and has enabled the grounds to be named the "#1 place to watch college baseball" and among the "100 things you gotta do before you graduate" by Sports Illustrated.[2] In 2009 the Left Field Lounge was named "the country's best tailgaiting experience" (among all venues and sports) by ESPN Magazine.
The famed author John Grisham is an alumnus of Mississippi State and avid fan of MSU college baseball. For the book Inside Dudy Noble: A Celebration of Mississippi State Baseball, he wrote an introduction about his time at MSU and in the Left Field Lounge.[3]
The Left Field Lounge started out in the 1960s with just fans driving cars and trucks into the area to watch a game. In the late 1960s, fans started bringing grills, tables, and ice chests full of drinks for a full tailgate party experience. At that time, fans would drive in before the game to set up their tailgates, and then take it all down after the game and drive back out. As the area became more popular, a line would form to get in before the game, the area would fill up, and some would be turned away. In a 2003 article by a Mississippi State alumnus:[4] In the early 1970s one truck driven to the Left Field Lounge would not start and was unable to leave after the game was over, so the owners just left the truck there. For the next game, the truck was still there, creating an automatic reserved spot. Other fans took advantage of this and brought in trucks and grills intending to leave them there. Some trucks that were no longer drivable were towed into a spot. To allow more fans to share a space, home-built seats and bleachers were built onto the beds of the trucks. Later, motor homes and flat bed trailers were brought in with more elaborate and sturdy bleachers. Eventually the university established rules for the cherished spots in Left Field Lounge. Spaces are rented for the season, and after all of the spaces are filled, those not receiving a space are placed on a waiting list. The trucks/trailers/motor homes must be on wheels, brought in by a certain day before the season starts, and removed after the season ends.
NCAA Record Attendance
SEC weekend games typically draw the largest crowds, giving rise to huge weekend gatherings. Mississippi State currently holds the NCAA record for the largest single game on-campus baseball attendance at 14,991 and the largest SEC crowd for a 3-game weekend series at 29,915. In 2007 versus the Clemson Tigers, MSU had the NCAA's top two all-time highest attended Super Regional games with 12,620 and 13,715 fans.
Mississippi State has all of the top 10 on-campus crowds in the history of college baseball. Overall, DNF-PDS has held 10 crowds over 12,000 and 25 crowds over 10,000.
Top Baseball Crowds at DNF-PDS
| Rank | Attendance | Opponent | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14,991 | Florida | April 22, 1989 |
| 2 | 14,378 | Louisiana State | April 16, 1988 |
| 3 | 13,761 | Arkansas | April 25, 1992 |
| 4 | 13,715 | Clemson | June 9, 2007 |
| 5 | 13,617 | Georgia | April 8, 2006 |
| 6 | 13,123 | Mississippi | April 15, 2000 |
| 7 | 12,708 | Auburn | April 24, 1993 |
| 8 | 12,620 | Clemson | June 8, 2007 |
| 9 | 12,360 | Georgia | April 6, 2002 |
| 10 | 11,763 | Auburn | April 12, 2003 |
| 11 | 11,496 | Florida State | May 27, 1990 |
| 12 | 11,174 | Florida | April 13, 1991 |
| 13 | 11,127 | South Alabama | May 26, 2000 |
| 14 | 11,089 | Tennessee | April 17, 2010 |
| 15 | 10,958 | Auburn | April 9, 2005 |
| 16 | 10,832 | Notre Dame | May 28, 2000 |
| 17 | 10,688 | Washington | May 25, 1997 |
| 18 | 10,617 | Florida | April 17, 2004 |
| 19 | 10,588 | North Carolina | May 28, 1989 |
| 20 | 10,555 | Kentucky | April 18, 2009 |
| 21 | 10,382 | Florida | April 25, 1987 |
| 22 | 10,324 | Kentucky | March 31, 2007 |
| 23 | 10,284 | Middle TN St. | May 30, 2003 |
| 24 | 10,050 | Alabama | April 10, 1999 |
| 25 | 9,784 | Notre Dame | May 27, 2000 |
| 26 | 9,593 | Vanderbilt | April 21, 1990 |
| 27 | 9,424 | Georgia | March 29, 2008 |
| 28 | 9,264 | Louisiana State | March 24, 2001 |
| 29 | 9,243 | Louisiana State | May 15, 1993 |
| 30 | 9,184 | Michigan | May 26, 1985 |
References
- ↑ "Left Field Lounge". Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ↑ "100 things you gotta do before you graduate". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ↑ "Inside Dudy Noble: A Celebration of Mississippi State Baseball". Retrieved 2008-11-30.
- ↑ "Out in left field". Retrieved 2008-11-30.