If you’re a die-hard baseball fan, the stadium could just be the spot to go to watch games. The on-field product, on the other hand, isn’t required for casual fans to enjoy a day at the park. From the gorgeous surroundings of Judy Noble Field, a slugger’s paradise with one of the top baseball stadiums in the United States, Interior characteristics, as well as the park’s design—which includes outfield dimensions—as well as the external view—all plays a role in the ranking.
We don’t have a fixed method based on a statistical review of facilities and their offerings for our college-ballparks rating. On the fan side, several of the ballparks on our list shine with plenty of facilities and ambiance. Others thrive on the player development front, with world-class facilities. Others are remarkable for their community impact: a university must be a good neighbor, and a ballpark may play a role in that outreach.
Although no two Major League ballparks are identical, some characteristics of the playing surface must be consistent across the league. The infield must be a 90-foot square on each side, and the outfield is the space between the two foul lines made by extending two sides of the square. The bases must be at the same level as the home plate when the field is built. Please don’t take it personally if your favorite college baseball stadium isn’t included or has a poor seeding in these brackets. Baseball laws stipulate that the distances between left and right fields (325 feet) and center field (325 feet) must be kept to a minimum (400 feet). This is what makes them very different from other fields.
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Judy Noble Field, Mississippi State
The New Dude, dubbed The New Palace of College Baseball by Baseball America, took one of the sport’s most famous stadiums and given it a $68 million makeover, elevating it to a new level. It has a large number of crazy Diamond Dawg supporters, making it the most well-known collegiate baseball stadium. Attendance records don’t appear to be in danger, especially after Mayor of Starkville Jake Mangum led the Bulldogs to back-to-back College World Series appearances, whetting the appetites of Diamond Dawgs fans.
Baum-Walker Stadium, Arkansas
Baseball rivalries in the SEC are already entertaining, but they extend to the stadiums on our list. Baum-Walker, in a close second, has made straight trips to Omaha for the CWS, and with the probably scariest offensive in the SEC returning, the 10,000-plus devoted Hogs supporters should have Fayetteville rocking once more in 2020.
Clark-LeClair Stadium, East Carolina
The Pirates fans made their voices known for the second season in a row, making Greenville, North Carolina’s baseball mecca, the most referenced ballpark outside of SEC nation. While 3,000 supporters can fill the bleachers, the 2,000 rowdies in “Williams Jungle” provide some of the most fun.
Alex Box Stadium, LSU
The Box has traditionally been one of the most difficult locations in college baseball to win on the road, thanks in large part to the Tigers fans, who have topped the league in attendance for 22 consecutive seasons. LSU earned its sixth and most current College World Series Championship in 200 when the “New Box” debuted.
Springs Brooks Stadium, Coastal Carolina
Teal Nation showed its support for its home stadium on social media. The Chanticleers’ jerseys have a similar color scheme to the original Florida Marlins, which adds brightness to the field and amps up the intensity. Of course, that unexpected run to the 2016 CWS Championship has fueled a fresh surge of excitement at the Stadium ever since.
Oxford University Stadium, Ole Miss
Oxford University Stadium, more often known as Swayze, the name of the field on where the Rebels play, recently commemorated the 30th anniversary of its inaugural games, a double-header sweep of Cumberland University on Feb. 19, 1989. Since then, the Stadium, which attracts more than 300,000 passionate Rebel fans each year, has become a collegiate baseball fixture.
Goss Stadium at Coleman Field, Oregon State
According to the Beavers’ website, Goss is the country’s oldest continually utilized ballpark, having opened in 1907. With three national titles and AdleyRutschman throwing his hat into the greatest-player-of-his-generation debate, there has been enough to celebrate during the last 15 years.
Curtis Granderson Stadium, Illinois-Chicago
The Chicago stadium, one of collegiate baseball’s younger ballparks, first opened its doors in 2014. The “greatest batter’s eye in collegiate baseball” is its claim to fame. We won’t debate based on these photographs.
Blue Bell Park, Texas A&M
Sure, Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park became one of the best collegiate baseball venues in the country when it debuted in February 2012. It’s large (duh, it’s in Texas), and it’s physically gorgeous, but it’s the fans who make it great. Pitchers have been afraid of not throwing strikes for years, and the situation seems to be getting worse for opposition pitchers every year.
Boshamer Stadium, North Carolina
The Diamond Heels’ home stadium first opened in the late 1960s, but it has been consistently crowded since the team’s most recent success. Boshamer has hosted the Super Regionals in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2019, giving Carolina fans much to rejoice about.
Founders Park, South Carolina
What a great example of a ballpark debuting at the perfect moment. In 2009, Founders Park, formerly Carolina Stadium, was announced. The Gamecocks retaliated by reaching three consecutive CWS finals, winning both in 2010 and 2011, before falling to Arizona in their attempt to complete a three-peat in 2012.
