Swayze Field

Oxford-University Stadium
Construction
Swayze Field

Location	Oxford, Mississippi
Coordinates	34°21′43″N 89°31′44″W / 34.36194°N 89.52889°W / 34.36194; -89.52889
Owner	University of Mississippi
Operator	University of Mississippi
Capacity	8,500 (6,100 seats)
Record attendance	11,729 (April 13, 2013 vs. Alabama^[1]
Field size	Left Field: 330 ft (101 m) Alleys: 365 ft (110 m) Center Field: 390 ft (119 m) Right Field: 330 ft (101 m)
Surface	Grass
Opened	March 27, 1948 (expanded 2003, 2009)
Construction cost	$3.75 million (Original cost)
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 Mississippi occurred in 2014 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 third baseman at Ole Miss and played professionally as a catcher 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."

Panoramic view of Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field at Ole Miss in 2006.

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 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 is 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] The architect for both the original facility and the expansion was Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons. 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).

Swayze Field expansion construction.
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]

References

1 2 "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 (PDF) on July 20, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.

The University of Mississippi

Academics

People	Jeffrey Vitter (chancellor) University of Mississippi Academics

Divisions	Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College University of Mississippi School of Law University of Mississippi School of Engineering University of Mississippi School of Business Administration Croft Institute for International Studies National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law Center for the Study of Southern Culture

Athletics

Teams	Ole Miss Rebels Football Basketball Baseball Tennis The Pride of the South (marching band)

Football rivalries	Egg Bowl (MSU) Magnolia Bowl (LSU) Arkansas–Ole Miss rivalry Alabama–Ole Miss rivalry

Facilities	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium The Pavilion at Ole Miss Tad Smith Coliseum Swayze Field Ole Miss Soccer Stadium Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center Ole Miss Track & Field Complex Ole Miss Softball Complex Gillom Sports Center University Golf Course

Campus

Main	University, Mississippi Lyceum-The Circle Historic District Martindale Student Services Center University of Mississippi Museum Rowan Oak Barnard Observatory Kennon Observatory The Grove

Other	University of Mississippi Field Station University of Mississippi Medical Center University of Mississippi School of Medicine

Student life

Traditions

Outreach

Mississippi Teacher Corps

Ole Miss Rebels baseball

Venues	Swayze Field (1948–present)

People	Head coaches

Seasons	1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

College World Series appearances in italics

Baseball parks of the Southeastern Conference

Eastern Division	McKethan Stadium (Florida) Foley Field (Georgia) Cliff Hagan Stadium (Kentucky) Taylor Stadium (Missouri) Carolina Stadium (South Carolina) Lindsey Nelson Stadium (Tennessee) Hawkins Field (Vanderbilt)

Western Division	Sewell–Thomas Stadium (Alabama) Baum Stadium (Arkansas) Plainsman Park (Auburn) Alex Box Stadium/Skip Bertman Field (LSU) Dudy Noble Field (Mississippi State) Swayze Field (Ole Miss) Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park (Texas A&M)

NCAA Division I college baseball venues in Mississippi

C-USA	Pete Taylor Park (Southern Miss)

SEC	Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium (Mississippi State) Swayze Field (Ole Miss)

SWAC	Foster Baseball Field at McGowan Stadium (Alcorn State) Braddy Field (Jackson State) Magnolia Field (Mississippi Valley State)

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