Record Tourney Crowds At Dudy Noble Field Rated Top 2007 NCAA Super Regional Story By Rivals.com
Despite drawing 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday start times, the Mississippi State-Clemson games drew 26,335 at Dudy Noble Field. The series-opener, the first NCAA Super Regional game on the MSU campus, drew an NCAA Super Regional-record 12,620 fans. A day later, MSU fans re-set the Super Regional attendance record when 13,715 fans packed the Bulldogs’ home facility as MSU completed a two-game series sweep to advance to its eighth appearance in the prestigious NCAA College World Series.
Michigan’s upset of No. 1 national seed Vanderbilt in the NCAA Nashville Regionals was Rivals.com’s top postseason story from the regionals while Oregon State’s national title repeat and Louisville’s first-ever advancement to Omaha rated as the publication’s top story lines from the College World Series.
“Everyone in the college baseball community is thrilled the sport is headed the right direction in terms of popularity,” wrote Rivals.com College Baseball Editor Kendal Rogers. “A national audience was able to see what a good college baseball crowd is all about when Mississippi State played host to Clemson. Not only did Bulldog fans pack the house, they also filled the outfield area, including the area known as the left-field lounge. Though I rarely give credit to rabid fan bases, the Bulldogs deserve the recognition .... thanks to Mississippi State for giving observers a taste of college baseball.”
Mississippi State finished the year with a school-record and SEC-leading total attendance --- 367,381 and totaled the second-highest total (222,072) and average (6,939 on 32 dates) home attendance figures.
The two Super Regional attendance figures were the 21st and 22nd attendances of 10,000 or better on record at Dudy Noble Field, while the overflow crowd of 13,715 rates as the largest NCAA postseason attendance and fourth-largest overall attendance at Mississippi State.