Swayze Field
| Oxford-University Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Swayze Field | |
 | |
| Location | Oxford, Mississippi |
| Coordinates | 34°21′43″N 89°31′44″W / 34.36194°N 89.52889°W |
| Opened |
March 27, 1948 (expanded 2003, 2009) |
| Owner | University of Mississippi |
| Operator | University of Mississippi |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | $3.75 million (Original cost) |
| Capacity | 8,500 (6,100 seats) |
| Record attendance | 11,729 (April 13, 2013 vs. Alabama[1] |
| Field dimensions |
Left Field: 330 ft (101 m) Alleys: 365 ft (110 m) Center Field: 390 ft (119 m) Right Field: 330 ft (101 m) |
| Tenants | |
| Ole Miss Rebels (NCAA) (1988-Present) | |
Oxford-University Stadium at Swayze Field is the home of the University of Mississippi Rebels college baseball team and is located in Oxford, Mississippi. It is named in honor of Tom Swayze, a former Ole Miss baseball player and coach. Tom Swayze was a 3 year letterman and over 21 years of coaching he achieved a record of 361–201–2. He also was at the helm of the team for four SEC Championships and three College World Series appearances. The last College World Series appearance by the U of Mississippi occurred in 1972 and their last SEC Championship was in 2009.The 1972 College World Series appearance came with Jake Gibbs as head coach and Larry Williams as his assistant. Gibbs was an All-American quarterback and catcher at Ole Miss and played professionally with the New York Yankees.
The $3.75 million stadium opened on February 19, 1989 with a double header sweep of Cumberland University. The actual stadium sits on city property off-campus and was built by the City of Oxford, using cigarette and hotel taxes to pay for it.
Features
Right field terrace
The hill beyond the right field wall was equipped with a seating area in 1993 that sits comfortably between the field and eight tennis courts. This has historically been a section for students. Since the 2000 season the area has undergone many improvements. What began as a gathering place for about one hundred students has grown into an area of about 1,000 students per game during conference season, and on big weekends between 3,000 and 4,000 students. Students routinely show up 2 or 3 hours before game time to wait on the first pitch. In the past few years, the students have started making t-shirts including ones that say: "Ole Miss - The best collegiate baseball atmosphere in America." This being a direct jab at their rivals, Mississippi State Bulldogs, who hold all top 10 NCAA baseball attendance records, and where Mississippi State's Dudy Noble Field was named "best place to watch college baseball" by ESPN Magazine and its Left Field Lounge "the country's best tailgating experience" by Sports Illustrated.
Right field traditions
1.) One of the main right field traditions involves the players themselves. After warmups are completed each inning, the outfielders throw the baseball into the right field student section, where students write messages and then throw the ball back to the outfielders for the next inning.
2.) Beer showers after walk off home runs and walk off hits
3.) Screaming at opposing outfielders.
Left field terrace
For many years there was nothing but trees and a parking lot beyond the left field wall. In 2006, the left field area, known as Oakes Pavilion, was renovated with a new scoreboard equipped with a large video board and the seating areas were upgraded with grills, picnic tables, and a play area for children. The left field area can hold around 2,500 fans and has become one of the more popular areas of the field.[2] It's mainly reserved for the families and non-students.
Stadium amenities
Swayze Field is equipped with AAA lighting that is of higher quality than most minor league ballparks. Below the stands are coach's offices, locker rooms, player's lounge, press area, and a workout area for the pitchers. Along the first base line is a 6,800-square-foot (630 m2) hitting complex. In 2006 a large video board was added that supplies fans with replays during the game.
Expansion
In April 2007, Ole Miss announced that their baseball stadium would undergo an $18.5 million expansion. The expansion was mostly completed in time for the 2009 baseball season. The expansion resulted in an increase of the overall number of seats to just over 6,000 and a total capacity exceeding 8,500.[3][4][5][6] On June 6, 2009, an Ole Miss record 10,323 were present to watch the Super Regional game vs the University of Virginia (UVA won 4-3).
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Swayze Field expansion construction.
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Swayze Field expansion completion.
Attendance
In a game against Alabama on April 13, 2013, a new attendance record of 11,729 was set. Ole Miss won the game 6-2.[1]
In 2013, the Rebels ranked 3rd among Division I baseball programs in attendance, averaging 7,996 per home game.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Allen Propels Rebels To 5-2 Win Over Alabama". Ole Miss Sports. 21 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-04-23. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ↑ Ole Miss Sports Official Website
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- ↑ Cutler, Tami (June 11, 2013). "2013 Division I Baseball Attendance - Final Report". Sportswriters.net. NCBWA. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
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