The New Dude.......

[Liverpooldawg]

This isn't meant to start another "it's too small, there are no GA seats," type debate, just some observations. This is going to sound crazy but the park, when it is rocking like it was Saturday and last night, feels both BIG and SMALL. It feels big because it is and it is REALLY loud. It feels small because the crowd is right on top of the field. There is almost no foul territory and when the crowd is ringing the field, the berms are packed, and the standing room is at least a couple of people deep all the way around, it's pretty spectacular. It has to be a bit intimidating for opposing teams. It clearly was in the first inning against CMU and after Jake legged out that first hit against Miami last night. There is almost no other place in college baseball right now that has the crowd ringing the field and almost literally on top of it. We kind of take it for granted but outside of the SEC very few teams have ever played in front of anything like a crowd of that size. To have it arranged as it is magnifies that effect. There was some SERIOUS thought put into the design, and it shows that there were MSU people deeply involved. Things like this weekend were what that place was built for. SERIOUS hats off to all involved.


By the way, we CAN fit more in. It will be packed tighter than a sardine can but we can get to 15k+ there. There was plenty of room to move around Saturday night. The outfield concourse seemed to be pretty clear. Behind the seating area and down the lines they were about 3 deep, but that still leaves a bunch of room. Would it be comfortable for them, no. It wasn't comfortable for the excess in those 15k crowds at the old place either. At least here they will be able to see something of the game.

[BrunswickDawg]

I haven't been to a game this year unfortunately. My observation from watching on TV is that the last 2 nights were heavily attended and exceeded anything I saw during the season. According the stats on hailstate.com, we had 6 home crowds this season over 10k -
3/22 vs. AU 10,029
3/23 vs AU 12,343
3/29 vs LSU 11,262
3/30 vs LSU 11,648
4/12 vs Bama 10,386
4/13 vs Bama 11,112

I'd love to hear from people who were at any of those games and the games this weekend to give a first hand comparison. On TV it didn't look like any of those were as large as this weekend.

[MStateDawg]

I'd love to hear from people who were at any of those games and the games this weekend to give a first hand comparison. On TV it didn't look like any of those were as large as this weekend.

Regular season games are tickets sold.
Post season games are actual butts in the seats.

Saturday night was the largest attended game we've had this season.

The largest crowds we've ever had were for the 2 Clemson Super Regional games. The "record" crowds were all regular season games and thus we didn't have the actual number of people in the stadium that were counted in the attendance number. This isn't a Mississippi State only thing. ALL schools post regular season attendance numbers via a tickets sold count.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Regular season games are tickets sold.
Post season games are actual butts in the seats.

Saturday night was the largest attended game we've had this season.

The largest crowds we've ever had were for the 2 Clemson Super Regional games. The "record" crowds were all regular season games and thus we didn't have the actual number of people in the stadium that were counted in the attendance number. This isn't a Mississippi State only thing. ALL schools post regular season attendance numbers via a tickets sold count.

To this day there's no doubt in my mind there were 16K in that stadium Game 2 of that Super Regional. People were jumping the fence, crawling through holes in the fence, bribing the security guards, etc. Anything to get in the stadium.

[ScoobaDawg]

I haven't been to a game this year unfortunately. My observation from watching on TV is that the last 2 nights were heavily attended and exceeded anything I saw during the season. According the stats on hailstate.com, we had 6 home crowds this season over 10k -
3/22 vs. AU 10,029
3/23 vs AU 12,343
3/29 vs LSU 11,262
3/30 vs LSU 11,648
4/12 vs Bama 10,386
4/13 vs Bama 11,112

I'd love to hear from people who were at any of those games and the games this weekend to give a first hand comparison. On TV it didn't look like any of those were as large as this weekend.


Can't compare those games to postseason likely. those are tickets sold vs tickets scanned (post-season.. we have to pay the ncaa based on that count).

[ScoobaDawg]

To this day there's no doubt in my mind there were 16K in that stadium Game 2 of that Super Regional. People were jumping the fence, crawling through holes in the fence, bribing the security guards, etc. Anything to get in the stadium.

Yep.. evidently they did close the gates but got to a point in the later innings and said f it.. and let people in to experience history. I'll never forget those sunburns.. nor caring. Nor ever forgetting charging the field after the final out.

I was also there when we broke the record and think there were just as many people there for that game as when the clemson super regional ended. IT WAS PACKED tight.

[Mjoelner34]

I haven't been to a game this year unfortunately. My observation from watching on TV is that the last 2 nights were heavily attended and exceeded anything I saw during the season. According the stats on hailstate.com, we had 6 home crowds this season over 10k -
3/22 vs. AU 10,029
3/23 vs AU 12,343
3/29 vs LSU 11,262
3/30 vs LSU 11,648
4/12 vs Bama 10,386
4/13 vs Bama 11,112

I'd love to hear from people who were at any of those games and the games this weekend to give a first hand comparison. On TV it didn't look like any of those were as large as this weekend.

I was at every one of those games you listed and Saturday nights game was packed tighter in left field both in the spots and on the concourse than any of those. I'll try to post a pic of the first tier LFL concourse I took after work today.

[confucius say]

I haven't been to a game this year unfortunately. My observation from watching on TV is that the last 2 nights were heavily attended and exceeded anything I saw during the season. According the stats on hailstate.com, we had 6 home crowds this season over 10k -
3/22 vs. AU 10,029
3/23 vs AU 12,343
3/29 vs LSU 11,262
3/30 vs LSU 11,648
4/12 vs Bama 10,386
4/13 vs Bama 11,112

I'd love to hear from people who were at any of those games and the games this weekend to give a first hand comparison. On TV it didn't look like any of those were as large as this weekend.

I was at that 3/23 auburn game thatbis listed as the biggest with 12,343 and I was there sat with the announced 11,500ish. Sat was more people easily.

[Gutter Cobreh]

This isn't meant to start another "it's too small, there are no GA seats," type debate, just some observations. This is going to sound crazy but the park, when it is rocking like it was Saturday and last night, feels both BIG and SMALL. It feels big because it is and it is REALLY loud. It feels small because the crowd is right on top of the field. There is almost no foul territory and when the crowd is ringing the field, the berms are packed, and the standing room is at least a couple of people deep all the way around, it's pretty spectacular. It has to be a bit intimidating for opposing teams. It clearly was in the first inning against CMU and after Jake legged out that first hit against Miami last night. There is almost no other place in college baseball right now that has the crowd ringing the field and almost literally on top of it. We kind of take it for granted but outside of the SEC very few teams have ever played in front of anything like a crowd of that size. To have it arranged as it is magnifies that effect. There was some SERIOUS thought put into the design, and it shows that there were MSU people deeply involved. Things like this weekend were what that place was built for. SERIOUS hats off to all involved.


By the way, we CAN fit more in. It will be packed tighter than a sardine can but we can get to 15k+ there. There was plenty of room to move around Saturday night. The outfield concourse seemed to be pretty clear. Behind the seating area and down the lines they were about 3 deep, but that still leaves a bunch of room. Would it be comfortable for them, no. It wasn't comfortable for the excess in those 15k crowds at the old place either. At least here they will be able to see something of the game.

Like Brunswick, I haven't been able to attend a game this year until our noon one on Friday. While it wasn't two deep in the outfield, the energy from the crowd that was there was still spectacular. I don't really care about attendance records, but I do care about creating a home field advantage. Not only do we have an advantage in spades, the new Dude is one of the best ballparks I've ever been in.

We've heard some feedback from some of the players from the opposing teams, but I wish there was a way to interview every one of them to garner their thoughts. We played each team in our regional, so each one got a chance to feel what it was like. I would dare guess that Southern played in front of more fans Friday than they did all year combined.

[Liverpooldawg]

I wasn't in any of the big regular season crowds so I can't comment.

[Lumpy Chucklelips]

One thing that I haven’t seen anyone mention...in this new stadium, on days like this weekend especially, but every SEC game really...there are people 3,4,5 or more deep standing from one end of the grandstand to the other, watching the game between the lower and upper decks and watching replays on the tv’s that are positioned every 20’ apart. I’m sure these are general admission folks that don’t have a place to sit. When I go to the concession stand or bathroom, I catch myself standing there and watching the game for an half inning or so. It’s a great spot to watch the game and catch the replays.

When the tv cameras scan the stadium, you can’t see these people at all.

[timotheus]

I was amazed as to how loud the place was from the Lofts. It sounded like 40K in the stands.

[BrunswickDawg]

I was amazed as to how loud the place was from the Lofts. It sounded like 40K in the stands.

#humblebrag

[DownwardDawg]

Bama buddy of mine watched it on tv last night and couldn’t believe how loud it was. He said it sounded like a Bama football game on tv!!