Baum Stadium - History

History

Baum Stadium officially opened in 1996. It was designed by Populous (formerly HOK Sport), an architecture firm that has also designed several major league stadiums. Its first game was a 9-2 Arkansas win over Auburn on April 13, 1996. The stadium was dedicated prior to a 9-3 Arkansas win over Alabama on May 3, 1996.

In 1998, Baum Stadium was named the country's number one college baseball facility by Baseball America. In 1999, Arkansas won the regular season Southeastern Conference title and had an average home attendance of 3,780 spectators, the sixth-highest total in Division I college baseball. That year, the stadium hosted an NCAA regional.

Prior to the 2003 season, 2,600 chairback seats were added (1,300 down each foul line). In addition, the hitting and pitching cages were enclosed to allow year-round access. During the 2003 and 2004 seasons, renovations took place. Coaches offices and eight luxury boxes were added above the seating areas. Also, a new scoreboard was built in right field. The scoreboard stands 51 feet high and is 76 feet wide and features four classic brick pillars. Also in 2004, a natural grass surface was added, replacing the AstroTurf field that had been in place since the stadium opened. Rye grass was initially used for the 2004 season but was in 2005 replaced by a hybrid bermuda grass. In November 2006, the stadium underwent its third expansionsince the 2003 season. The expansion includes 20 luxury boxes, 1,500 chairback seats, and a new outfield area to bring the stadium's capacity 10,737 spectators. The expansions have made the stadium the second biggest, by listed capacity, in the Southeastern Conference.

Baum Stadium hosted its first #1 vs. #1 matchup ever on April 7, 2009, a 7-3 Razorbacks victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils. The Hogs were #1 in Collegiate Baseball's poll, with ASU pulling a top ranking from Baseball America and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll. The very next night, the Hogs set a then Baum Stadium record for attendance at 11,044 when they completed the sweep of the Sun Devils.