by Chad Vignes
LSU Sports Information
Beautiful.
Magnificent.
A crown jewel in college baseball.
These words have been used this season to describe the new Alex Box Stadium, the new home of LSU baseball.
Coming into the season, there was a lot of discussion about whether or not the same tradition and feeling that made the old Alex Box Stadium so special would carry over 200 yards south to the new stadium.
“I know a lot of people are going to miss the old Alex Box and it means a lot to many people,” LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. “But we needed the upgrade in the facilities for our players, but also for the fans.”
Compared to the old Alex Box, the new stadium boasts fresh, state-of-the-art amenities necessary to keep LSU among the nation’s elite programs. So far this season, the team has taken advantage of these new amenities and has noticed a difference on the field.
“I think the indoor batting facility is one of the biggest assets the new stadium offers,” junior outfielder Jared Mitchell said. “To be able to come here anytime, no matter the weather, and get some work done definitely gives our team an advantage.”
The indoor facility isn’t the only new part of the stadium the players enjoy. At the old Alex Box, the players had about 3,000 square feet of “team area.” This area included the locker room, player’s lounge and meeting area. The new Alex Box offers 9,380 square feet of team area.
“When we wanted to hang out in the old Box, all we could do was sit in front of our lockers and talk,” said freshman infielder Grant Dozar, who spent last fall with the team in the old stadium. “Now we have a whole lounge to relax in with couches and chairs and ping pong tables and computers. It helps the guys relieve a little stress while also spending time together as a team.”
The players aren’t the only ones benefitting from the new additions to the stadium. Fans also now enjoy over 1,000 more seats under the grandstands, as well as the Champion’s Club lounge. The new Box also offers more restrooms and concessions areas, perfect for making every Tiger fan a bit more comfortable.
“The experience at the new stadium is as close to Major League as you can get,” lifelong Tiger baseball fan and current LSU senior Matthew Weaver said. “Being in this type of an environment for a college baseball game gives a little extra excitement to whole experience, and it’s something I’ve enjoyed this year.”
One thing that has remained constant in the new stadium, not surprisingly, has been the overwhelming fan support. For 13 straight seasons, LSU has led the nation in paid attendance, and not by a slim margin. Last season, the old Alex Box attracted 318,798 fans, nearly 100,000 more fans than Arkansas, the second-highest paid attendance leader. The Razorbacks, who recently renovated their stadium in 2007, had a paid attendance figure of 222,985 in 2008.
The new Alex Box Stadium has already broken a record for actual attendance this season. The series finale with Tennessee on April 19 brought in an actual crowd of 5,965, which brought this season’s actual attendance total through 28 games to 155,866. That number surpasses the previous mark of 154, 476, which was set through 34 games in 2000.
“The thing that makes this stadium so special is the fans,” junior second baseman Ryan Schimpf said. “As long as we have the fans, I don’t care what we play in. They’re unbelievable.”
The new Alex Box isn’t the only new stadium the SEC welcomed this season. South Carolina’s Carolina Stadium is also in its inaugural season, a destination the Tigers got to visit firsthand earlier this season.
“I think South Carolina’s stadium is really nice,” Mitchell said. “I’m not saying this just because I go to school here, but I think our stadium is better than everybody else’s.”
“It’s hard to compare stadiums,” Schimpf said. “They’re all so nice; the SEC has some unbelievable stadiums, but this one is special and it’s because of the fans.”
So while the new stadium doesn’t come equipped with all the pageantry and tradition of the old Alex Box, there’s still something that exists when you walk through the gates that transcends the shiny new fixtures and beautiful architecture. It’s a spirit that overtakes players and fans alike and makes baseball at LSU unique.
“I don’t really know how to describe it,” Schimpf said with a smile, almost in awe of his words. “It’s just…special.”