National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

Southeastern Conference

Saturday 23rd April 2016

First pitch 14.00

University Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels 7 Auburn University Tigers 4,  attendance 10,102

@ Oxford-University Stadium at Swayze Field

University Place

Oxford, MS 38655

$15 admission

No programme.

Before leaving home on Friday I noticed the size of the crowds Ole Miss were getting, so thought I had better play safe and book a ticket. I phoned their office and was offered an excellent seat right behind home plate. It is so much easier when you are only trying to buy a single ticket for the game as there always seems to be odd seats available, even in the best areas. I was actually doing a game in Memphis tonight, so drove the 137 miles from Little Rock to Memphis, buying a ticket for the evening game, before heading 85 miles south to Oxford, MS.

The team were originally called the Mississippi Flood, but were renamed the rebels in 1936 and have played in the College World Series five times, most recently in 2014. The stadium has a record attendance of11,729, set in 2013, seating 8,500 with further capacity in the way of grass banking.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1

Sun Belt Conference

Saturday 16th April 2016

First pitch 14.00

University Texas Arlington Mavericks 0 Georgia Southern University Eagles 6,  attendance 277

@ Clay Gould Ballpark

1400, Allan Saxe Parkway

Arlington, TX 76013

$5 admission

Programme free, 4 pages.

The ballpark was opened in 1974, formerly known as Allan Saxe Ballpark and Arlington Athletic Center. Capacity these days is 1,600.

Major League Baseball

Sunday 10th April 2016

First pitch 13.10

New York Mets 2 Philadelphia Phillies 5,  attendance 37,233

@ Citi Field

123-01 Roosevelt Avenue

Queens, NY 11368

Admission $29

Programme ? Didn’t look for one.

When I booked my flight from Montreal down to New York I hadn’t even considered doing anything other than my evening game at 19.00. I only noticed the fixture on Saturday night and when I checked where it was I was surprised to see it was by both the airport and my hotel. However, my Air Canada flight wasn’t due in to La Guardia until 12.20, which would mean my chances of making it for a 13.10 start were pretty slim. As it turned out, I was off the plane for 12.18 and checked into the hotel by 12.50. I was advised the next hotel shuttle to the subway drop off, Mets-Willets Point Station, was at 13.00. The station just happened to be right next to Citi Field. Despite the shuttle leaving a couple of minutes late, it was still going past the stadium before the game was due to start. The driver asked if any of us were doing the game and, even better, he  stopped right outside the ticket office as it was en route to the station drop off. What service! Having just bought the cheapest available ticket, on the top tier, it was into the first lift and into my seat as Mets were about to bat their first innings.

Citi Field opened on 29th March 2009, with a college baseball game. The Mets played their first game there on 3rd April 2009 versus Boston Red Sox, in an exhibition, before playing their first regular season game 10 days later against San Diego Padres. The capacity is 41,922, with the record attendance of 45,186 set for the 2013 All-Star Game.

After the game it was a couple of hundred yards walk to Mets-Willets Point Station and then taking subway Line 7 into Manhattan and then heading north for my next game. It was an hours journey, with just one change, and for a very reasonable $3.

Major League Baseball

Tuesday 5th April 2016

First pitch 19.05

Texas Rangers 2 Seattle Mariners 10,  attendance 28,386

@ Globe Life Park

1000, Ballpark Way

Arlington, TX 76011

$10 admission

Programme available, didn’t bother.

Globe Life Park was opened in 1994 and has a capacity of 48,114. The record attendance is 52,419. Despite being relatively new and a superb venue, the Rangers are looking to build a new stadium, just to the south of the current one, and be playing there by 2020.

When enquiring about tickets we were quoted $37, but that as a promotion by Dr Pepper, it was possible to get them for $27 if you show up at the ticket office with one of their products. No problem then, but when we arrived at the ticket office we were told it’s ‘$10 Tuesday’ so a real bargain. Why do these clubs have promotions running against each other ?  Pretty bad business I’d have thought ? Not wanting to walk too far meant $20 to park, but also nowhere to eat anywhere near the stadium, so food would be eaten inside. Not bad as it goes, although prices as you would expect, not cheap.

As for the game, Rangers were always in with a chance as they were only 2-4 down going into the eighth innings, but that was to change dramatically !

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

Big 12 Conference

Saturday 2nd April 2016

First pitch 15.00

Oklahoma University Sooners 3 University Texas Longhorns 5,  attendance 1,826

@ L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park

401, Imhoff Road

Norman, OK 73072

$8 admission

Programme free, covers season, 32 pages, plus free team sheet.

The ballpark is named after Dale Mitchell who holds the career and single season batting records for the Sooners. It was opened in 1982 and has a capacity of 3,180.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

Big 12 Conference

Saturday 19th March 2016

First pitch 15.00

Texas Christian University Horned Frogs 7 West Virginia University Mountaineers 1,  attendance 4,364

@ Charlie & Marie Lupton Stadium and Williams-Reilly Field

3700, West Berry Street

Fort Worth, TX 76129

Free admission *

Programme free, 4 pages.

Two good bits of fortune here. Late Friday evening I noticed that it had been posted on their website that the game had been brought forward an hour from 16.00, something that caught out a fair number of latecomers. Then, whilst standing in the queue at the ticket office, I bagged one of the four tickets a fellow spectator was giving away free as members of his party were unable to attend. Despite only being for the grass banked area, once inside there were no ticket checks, so it was a case of wait and see where the empty seats were and ‘take your pick’. It was also nice to park in the official car park at the stadium for free as well.

The stadium was opened in 2003 and has a seated capacity of 4,500. Despite being relatively new it has undergone renovation twice in the last three years. Crowds have steadily risen here, helped somewhat by the Horned Frogs making the College World Series in 2010, 2014 and 2015. The record crowd stands at 7,383 versus Texas A&M University Aggies during the 2015 NCAA Super Regional tournament.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

Saturday 12th March 2016

1st pitch 14.00

Dallas Baptist University Patriots 9 Valparaiso University Crusaders 2,  attendance 606

@ Joan & Andy Horner Ballpark

3000, Mountain Creek Parkway

Dallas, TX 75211

$7 admission

Programme free, 4 pages.

Prior to this, I had only been to two baseball games before, both during holidays in the States. Firstly, to see the Florida Marlins when they played at the Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, then to an Arizona Fall League game at Scottsdale Stadium, near Phoenix AZ. It is a much better game to watch when you understand a bit more of what is going on, which I certainly didn’t before.

The Patriots baseball team are the only ones from DBU that play in NCAA I, the others being in NCAA II. Home games are played at Horner Ballpark which opened on 15th February 2013. There are 2,000 seats and since this season they will play on a full artificial pitch, as the outfield natural grass has been replaced to match the infield. The record crowd was set on 31st May 2015 when the visit of University Texas Longhorns drew 3,242 spectators.