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Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium

Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium

Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium is a baseball facility on the campus of Mississippi State University and is the home of the Bulldogs Baseball Team. DNF-PDS has been the setting of Southeastern Conference Tournaments, NCAA Regional and Super Regional Championships, and it holds the current NCAA on-campus single-game attendance record at 15,586. It is known for the Left Field Lounge.

Polk-DeMent Stadium
Full nameDudy Noble Field at Polk–Dement Stadium
Location145 Lakeview Drive, Starkville, MS, United States
OwnerMississippi State University
OperatorMississippi State University
Capacity13,000 (seats starting in 2019)[1]
Record attendance15,586 (current NCAA on-campus record)
Field sizeLF: 330, LC: 376, CF: 390, RC: 374, RF: 305
SurfaceTiflawn & Tifway II Bermuda Grass
Tenants
Mississippi State Bulldogs (1967–present)

History

Mississippi State has been playing baseball at the present stadium site for 50 years, dating back to April 3, 1967 and a 5-3 Mississippi State win over Illinois Wesleyan.

What today stands as one of college baseball's top facilities grew in large part from the labors of Tom D'Armi, chief assistant coach to longtime Bulldog skipper Paul Gregory. When the tin-roofed grandstand and bleachers seating more than 2,000 were moved to the stadium's present site in the mid-1960s, it became D'Armi's task to "build" the new field. The task of hauling in and leveling top soil, planting and nurturing the turf, building the bullpens, placing signs on the outfield fence and planting the cedar trees beyond the outfield fence, fell to D'Armi. The hard work didn't go unrecognized. The field was subsequently honored by the U.S. Groundskeeper's Association as the nation's best maintained athletic field.

The facility was constructed on schedule by W.G. Yates & Sons of Philadelphia, Miss.

The Bulldog Club, MSU's athletic fund-raising body, shouldered a $2 million bonding program to account for the biggest portion of the project, with the remainder financed by alumni and friends through the sale of $1,000, $500 and $250 chairback seats, honorary deeds to plots of Dudy Noble Field turf, and other general donations.

For the book Inside Dudy Noble, A Celebration of Mississippi State Baseball, MSU alumnus John Grisham wrote an introduction[2] about his time at MSU and in the Left Field Lounge.

The infield and portions of the adjoining outfield areas have in recent years been resodded, the infield dirt replaced, and the pitcher's mound rebuilt.

The green padding on the facing of the stadium wall was replaced prior to the 2002 season, and a new flooring material has been installed in both dugouts and the tunnels leading to them. The Bulldog locker room has been completely recarpeted, improved lighting added and new lockers installed, one of many projects funded by the four-year-old MSU Dugout Club.

Early in the 2004 season a speaker system was added near the concession stand area, while a new state-of-the-art scoreboard/message center was installed in the middle of the season beyond the existing scoreboard.

Also begun during the final week of the 2004 home season was the installation of wrought iron fencing and gates beneath the grandstand.

Additional stadium improvements are on the drawing board, all part of Mississippi State's commitment to maintain Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium as the consummate collegiate ballpark for players and spectators alike.

In 2007 Dudy Noble held the largest crowd in super regional history of 13,715 in a victory over the Clemson Tigers that sent the Bulldogs to the College World Series in Omaha, NE.

Following the 2008 Season, a new larger Hi-Def video board replaced the 4-year old smaller screen along with a covering for the back of the scoreboard which displays the current year's baseball schedule. Planned renovations for the summer of 2009 include replacing all the out-dated drainage and pump systems below the field and all grass on the field.

In March 2013, Dudy Noble debuted a new mobile concessions ordering service — dawgsnax.com — with in-seat food delivery for fans in the grandstand seating area.[3]

In 2017, Dudy Noble was mostly leveled to make way for an all-new Dudy Noble Field scheduled to be completed by the 2019 season. The 2018 season will be played at 3/4 capacity as the upper level will not be complete.

The Left Field Lounge

Old Dudy Noble Field from the outfield

Old Dudy Noble Field from the outfield

The Left Field Lounge is the area beyond the outfield fence. It is unique in college baseball, and has enabled the grounds to be named the "#1 place to watch college baseball" and among the "100 things you gotta do before you graduate" by Sports Illustrated.[4] In 2009 the lounge was named "the country's best tailgating experience" (among all sports venues) by ESPN Magazine.[5]

Championships

Dudy Noble Field has hosted four SEC tournaments (1979, 1981, 1983, and 1988), one SEC Western Division Tournament (1995), two NCAA District III tournaments (1973 and 1974), 14 NCAA Regional tournaments (1979, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2013, 2016, and 2019), and 3 Super Regionals (2007, 2016, and 2019.)

Attendance

SEC weekend games typically draw the largest crowds, giving rise to huge weekend gatherings. Mississippi State currently holds the NCAA record for the largest single game on-campus baseball attendance at 15,586 and the largest SEC crowd for a 3-game weekend series at 39,181. In 2007 versus the Clemson Tigers, MSU had the NCAA's top two all-time highest attended Super Regional games with 12,620 and 13,715 fans.

Mississippi State has all of the top 11 on-campus crowds in the history of college baseball. Overall, DNF-PDS has held 12 crowds over 12,000 and 35 crowds over 10,000.

In 2013, the Bulldogs ranked 4th among Division I baseball programs in attendance, averaging 7,617 per home game.[6]

In 2012, college baseball writer Eric Sorenson ranked the stadium as the best big game atmosphere in Division I baseball.[7]

Top baseball crowds at DNF-PDS

RankAttendanceOpponentDateRecord broken
115,586Ole MissApril 12, 2014NCAA on-campus record
215,078Texas A&MApril 16, 2016#2 NCAA on-campus record
314,991FloridaApril 22, 1989#3 NCAA on-campus record
414,562AuburnApril 20, 2013#4 NCAA on-campus record
514,378Louisiana StateApril 16, 1988#5 NCAA on-campus record
613,761ArkansasApril 25, 1992#6 NCAA on-campus record
713,715ClemsonJune 9, 2007#7 NCAA on-campus record
NCAA Super Regional single-game record
813,691KentuckyApril 8, 2017#8 NCAA on-campus record
913,617GeorgiaApril 8, 2006#9 NCAA on-campus record
1013,452ArizonaJune 11, 2016#10 NCAA on-campus record
#2 NCAA Super Regional single-game record
1113,224Ole MissApril 11, 2014#11 NCAA on-campus record
1213,123Ole MissApril 15, 2000#12 NCAA on-campus record
1313,004FloridaApril 18, 2005#13 NCAA on-campus record
1412,708ArizonaJune 10, 2016#14 NCAA on-campus record
#3 NCAA Super Regional single-game record
1512,708AuburnApril 24, 1993#15 NCAA on-campus record
1612,620ClemsonJune 8, 2007#16 NCAA on-campus record
#4 NCAA Super Regional single-game record
1712,360GeorgiaApril 6, 2002#19 NCAA on-campus record
1811,763AuburnApril 12, 2003
1911,515Ole MissApril 2, 2016
2011,496Florida StateMay 27, 1990
2111,201FloridaApril 9, 2011
2211,174FloridaApril 13, 1991
2311,127South AlabamaMay 26, 2000
2411,124South AlabamaJune 1, 2013
2511,102Central ArkansasMay 31, 2013
2611,089TennesseeApril 17, 2010
2710,958AuburnApril 9, 2005
2810,832Notre DameMay 28, 2000
2910,688WashingtonMay 25, 1997
3010,656Cal State FullertonJune 5, 2016
3110,619FloridaApril 17, 2004
3210,588North CarolinaMay 28, 1989
3310,555KentuckyApril 18, 2009
3410,382FloridaApril 25, 1987
3510,371Ole MissApril 13, 2014
3610,351TennesseeApril 21, 2012
3710,324KentuckyMarch 31, 2007
3810,284Middle Tennessee St.May 30, 2003
3910,226Central ArkansasJune 2, 2013
4010,217Texas TechFebruary 17, 2017
4110,164Ole MissApril 3, 2016
4210,152Ole MissApril 1, 2016
4310,143AuburnApril 19, 2013
4410,064VanderbiltMarch 22, 2014
4510,029AuburnMarch 22, 2019

See also

  • List of NCAA Division I baseball venues

References

[1]
Citation Linkballparkdigest.comDudy Noble Field Renovations are on Schedule
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[2]
Citation Linklibrary.msstate.edu[1]
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[3]
Citation Linkwww.hailstate.comhttp://www.hailstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&ATCLID=206654961
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[4]
Citation Linksportsillustrated.cnn.comhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/sioncampus/09/24/100_things0930/index.html
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[5]
Citation Linkwww.zinio.comhttp://www.zinio.com/express3?issue=365161852&o=int&prev=si&pg=seo&p=61
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[6]
Citation Linkwww.sportswriters.netCutler, Tami (June 11, 2013). "2013 Division I Baseball Attendance - Final Report" (PDF). Sportswriters.net. NCBWA. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[7]
Citation Linkblogs.eastonbaseball.comSorenson, Eric (5 October 2012). "Distiller's Dozen - The "Hey, Nice Stadium" Edition". CollegeBaseballToday.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[8]
Citation Linkadmin.xosn.comDudy Noble Field/Polk-DeMent Stadium seating chart
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[9]
Citation Linkwww.msstate.eduCampus Map: Dudy Noble Field / Polk-Dement Stadium
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[10]
Citation Linkwww.hailstate.comPhoto Gallery: Dudy Noble Field/Polk-DeMent Stadium 7/20/2010
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[11]
Citation Linkvisit.starkville.orgVirtual Visit: Dudy Noble Field
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[12]
Citation Linkwww.courierpostonline.comDudy Noble Field: The Venue
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[13]
Citation Linkwww.leftfieldlounge.comLeftFieldLounge.com
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[14]
Citation Linkwww.reflector-online.comLeft Field Lounge Tradition
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[15]
Citation Linkwww.reflector-online.comLeft Field Lounge represents the best of MSU
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[16]
Citation Linkballparkdigest.comDudy Noble Field Renovations are on Schedule
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[17]
Citation Linklibrary.msstate.edu[1]
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[18]
Citation Linkwww.hailstate.comhttp://www.hailstate.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=16800&ATCLID=206654961
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[19]
Citation Linksportsillustrated.cnn.comhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/sioncampus/09/24/100_things0930/index.html
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM
[20]
Citation Linkwww.zinio.comhttp://www.zinio.com/express3?issue=365161852&o=int&prev=si&pg=seo&p=61
Sep 29, 2019, 5:09 PM