Three reasons to go to WSU baseball games

With the basketball season ending soon, sports fans will be looking for a new venue to call home. And in the realm of spring college sports, baseball is king.

Fortunately, there are a multitude of reasons to attend games at Eck Stadium besides the games themselves.

COLEMAN HILL

One of the best seats you can have at a Shocker game isn’t close to the first-base line like at most venues. For Wichita State fans, the outfield is the place to be.

On Coleman Hill, patrons can bring the tailgate party inside the stadium. There, fans are allowed to bring in non-propane grills and coolers without glassware to grill and have the fun of tailgating while watching the game.

The seating provided is limited, but there is more than enough room for people to bring their own lawn chairs to sit in or plop down right in the grass.

Coleman Hill is the perfect place to spend some time relaxing with friends and make new ones during a game. Just be on the lookout for home runs while you’re out there.

THE FANS

While they may not get as loud and rowdy as the crowd in Charles Koch Arena, baseball fans at Eck Stadium are second to none.

Even with games starting in February, fans of Shocker baseball don’t let the elements get in the way of a good time. Even with snow at their feet, Mother Nature won’t stop them from cheering on their team.

Young, old, man, woman — it makes no difference. Shocker baseball fans come in every shape and size and are out there no matter what.

If you want to get a little crazier or have a good laugh, there is always a lot of activity on Coleman Hill or with the typical baseball game hecklers — but those may be the most die-hard fans.

THE HISTORY

You can’t talk about WSU baseball without talking about the proud history of the program.

At one point, WSU didn’t just have one of the elite baseball teams in the nation. It was the elite program. College baseball fans from coast-to-coast knew who the Shockers were, and for good reason. Gene Stephenson took the once unknown team and turned it into a dominant force — not only in the Missouri Valley Conference — but also in the NCAA. During his 36-year reign as head coach of the team, Stephenson took the program to seven College World Series appearances and 18 MVC Tournament championships. His 1989 team won the National Championship.

With the replacement of Todd Butler as head coach, Stephenson may be gone, but he is far from forgotten. You can still see the impact of everything he built, and that will likely continue for years to come.

These are only a few of the reasons to watch Shocker baseball, though all you have to do is go to a game to find more. The games are free for students, and it never hurts to try something new.