With the cold, rainy weather that’s been lingering over our college town these past couple of weeks, we have been experiencing some January blues here in Oxford. Thankfully, February has arrived and this means something great for our Rebels… baseball season! In two weeks from today, our 2022 National Champions will return to Swayze and our students could not be more excited!
Swayze Crazy
For those who are new to the Ole Miss baseball world, I’ll fill you in on all the important things to know. “Swayze”, the name of our baseball field, comes from a legendary player and coach Tom Swayze. From this name comes “Swayze Crazy”, a saying that you’ll find fans proudly sporting on their game day attire or using as hashtags in their social media posts. Some students are so Swayze Crazy that you may catch them camping outside of the stadium 24-48 hours before the first game. There is an understood rule in the student section that the seats you get for your first game are the seats you have all season, so the most dedicated fans make sure to get there early and claim their spot. It may seem silly, but for some this is one of the best parts of baseball season! With friends all around, a cooler full of drinks, and a perfect future spot for the game, this is all they need to turn the long wait into a party!
Seating Breakdown
Located in the outfield, the student section can be seen filled with college students bundled up in the cold of February or sunburnt in the heat of May. One of the most famous student traditions at an Ole Miss baseball game is.. you guessed it.. the beer showers! Every homerun you will see red solo cups flying throughout the student section to create the nationally recognized beer showers.
For those looking to stay a little drier, the seats in Grandstand Seating or Left Field may be best for you! Grandstand will be your standard, assigned bleacher seating while Left Field will be a general admission grassy area that is traditionally filled with families and locals. Left Field can be similar to the Grove in some ways. You can bring coolers (no glass is allowed of any kind) and grill out in this area, which is a super fun experience! It is important however to note the unspoken rule of “gameday spots” in Left Field, so be mindful of where you are camping out if you chose to visit in this section.
What to Wear
Generally, baseball game attire is a bit more casual than what you will see at the Grove. Jeans, jerseys, a baseball cap and sunglasses will do! Ladies, make sure you have a stadium approved clear bag when attending games. For the cold games, we would highly recommend dressing warm especially for those who may be in the beer showers. For the warm games, make sure to bring sunscreen or you will get cooked!
More Fan Favorites
One famous tradition that fans and players love are the walk out songs! Each player will pick a song to play in the stadium when they come to the plate to bat or for the pitchers to play during their warm up. It’s a super fun way for players to express themselves and get hyped up before they bat. Fans will join in singing and dancing to the songs, so make sure to join in to give our Rebels that extra support! As for food goes, Swayze has concession stands with all your classic baseball game snacks: popcorn, nachos, peanuts, and everyone’s favorite- the hotdogs! Good food, good drinks, good friends and good vibes all equals out to be great memories for students and fans to carry with them forever!
If you are looking to purchase season tickets or if you are visiting during a popular weekend, it is very important to purchase your tickets sooner than later. Our 2022 CWS National Champs have made tickets a hot item this year! It is also important to remember that most weekend series (with a few exceptions) are played on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so that can provide a lot of options when finding the best day for you to attend a game. We can’t wait to see everyone go crazy at Swayze and cheer on our Rebels for another great season!