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The 2010 college baseball season is underway, and fans across the south flocked to stadiums to see the action.  Four SEC teams, LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi, and South Carolina, had the top weekend averages.  Here’s a breakdown of average attendance for opening weekend games as well as top single-game attendance marks (list below on the page).
By Average (min. 1,200)
School/Avg./ Total #Games
1. LSU 10,992/ 32,976/ 3

LSU's Alex Box Stadium had the top attendance figures during college baseball's opening weekend (LSU photo).

2. Arkansas 7,300/ 21,899/ 3
3. Ole Miss 7,171/ 21,513/ 3
4. South Carolina 7,072/ 21,216/ 3
5. Texas 6,020/ 18,060/3
6. Mississippi State 5,848/ 17,545/ 3
7. Clemson 5,727/ 11,454/ 2
8. Texas A&M 5,164/ 10,328/ 2
9. Florida State 5,049/ 15,148/ 3
10. East Carolina 4,974/ 14,922/ 3
11. Southern Miss 3,512/ 10,536/ 3
12. Florida 3,484/ 10,454/ 3
13. Hawaii 3,355/ 10,065/ 3
14. Miami, Fla. 3,172/ 9,516/ 3
15. TCU 2,934/ 8,803/ 3
16. Tulane 2,837/ 8,510/ 3
17. Arizona State 2,780/ 5,560/ 2
18. Louisiana-Lafayette 2,758/ 5,516/ 2
19. Baylor 2,679/ 8,038/ 3
20. Fresno State 2,607/ 7,820/ 3
21. Cal State Fullerton 2,465/ 7,395/ 3
22. Auburn 2,439/ 7,318/ 3
23. Texas Tech 2,328/ 9,312/ 4
24. Stanford 1,921/ 3,841/ 2
25. Vanderbilt 1,917/ 5,752/ 3
26. Long Beach State 1,908/ 3,816/ 2
27. Georgia Southern 1,847/ 5,543/3
28. Georgia Tech 1,720/ 5,160/ 3
29. Cal Poly 1,246/ 3,738/ 3
30. North Carolina 1,217/ 3,652/ 3

Top Game Attendances (min. 2,000)
11,588 Centenary at LSU, 2/19
11,126 Centenary at LSU, 2/20
10,262 Centenary at LSU, 2/21
8,004 Ball State at Arkansas, 2/20
7,926 Duquesne at South Carolina, 2/20
7,713 ULM at Ole Miss, 2/20
7,611 ULM at Ole Miss, 2/19
7,359 Ball State at Arkansas, 2/19
6,910 Duquesne at South Carolina, 2/21
6,536 Ball State at Arkansas, 2/21
6,380 Duquesne at South Carolina, 2/19
6,352 New Mexico at Texas, 2/20
6,189 ULM at Ole Miss, 2/21
5,953 New Mexico at Texas, 2/21
5,920 Rhode Island at Mississippi State, 2/20
5,915 Miami (OH) at Clemson, 2/19
5,819 Rhode Island at Mississippi State, 2/19
5,806 Rhode Island at Mississippi State, 2/21
5,755 New Mexico at Texas, 2/19
5,539 Furman at Clemson, 2/21
5,392 Georgia State at Florida State, 2/20
5,318 Seton Hall at Texas A&M, 2/19
5,254 Georgia State at Florida State, 2/19
5,136 Virginia at East Carolina, 2/20
5,012 Virginia at East Carolina, 2/19
5,010 Seton Hall at Texas A&M (DH), 2/20
4,774 Virginia at East Carolina, 2/21
4,502 Georgia State at Florida State, 2/21
4,109 Oregon State at Hawaii, 2/19
3,723 USF at Florida, 2/20
3,607 Northwestern State at Southern Miss, 2/20
3,569 Northwestern State at Southern Miss, 2/19
3,563 Clemson vs. Michigan State, 2/20
3,464 Oregon at Cal State Fullerton, 2/19
3,422 USF at Florida, 2/21
3,360 Northwestern State at Southern Miss, 2/21
3,309 USF at Florida, 2/19
3,280 Nebraska at Fresno State, 2/19
3,228 Sam Houston State at TCU, 2/19
3,128 Oregon State at Hawaii, 2/21
3,072 Sam Houston State at TCU, 2/20
3,011 Northern Illinois at Arizona State, 2/19
3,003 Boston College at Tulane, 2/19
2,912 Nicholls State at Louisiana-Lafayette, 2/20
2,895 Michigan at Texas Tech, 2/20
2,828 Oregon State at Hawaii, 2/20
2,798 Boston College at Tulane, 2/20
2,715 Southeast Missouri at Auburn, 2/20
2,709 Boston College at Tulane, 2/21
2,706 Georgia at Baylor, 2/21
2,670 Duke & Georgia at Baylor (DH), 2/19
2,662 Duke at Baylor, 2/20
2,605 Nicholls State at Louisiana-Lafayette, 2/19
2,548 Northern Illinois at Arizona State (DH), 2/20
2,503 Sam Houston State at TCU, 2/21
2,494 Southeast Missouri at Auburn, 2/19
2,350 Nebraska at Fresno State, 2/20
2,300 Xavier at Tennessee, 2/19
2,243 Jacksonville State at Texas Tech, 2/19
2,190 Nebraska at Fresno State, 2/21
2,162 Jacksonville State at Texas Tech, 2/21
2,126 Rice at Stanford (DH), 2/20
2,109 Southeast Missouri at Auburn, 2/21
2,027 Long Beach State at Cal State Fullerton, 2/21
2,012 Michigan at Texas Tech, 2/21

(Report complied by Wichita State sports information)

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Blowout Win Gets Milestone For LSU Skipper

Paul Mainieri

BATON ROUGE — Led by a two-homer performance by designated hitter Matt Gaudet and a six-RBI evening by first baseman Blake Dean, second-ranked LSU exploded for 23 hits en route to 25-8 victory over Centenary, giving head coach Paul Mainieri his 1,000th career victory Saturday night in Alex Box Stadium.

The Tigers (2-0) scored the most runs of any LSU team since 1999 when they defeated Ohio 26-5. Centenary dropped to 0-2 with Saturday’s loss.

The series will conclude Sunday at 1 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium. LSU will start sophomore right-hander Joey Bourgeois, a transfer from LSU-Eunice making his first start as a Tiger. The Gents will counter with right-hander David Benson.

The LSU bats were on fire Saturday night, led by a 4-for-5 performance by Dean and 3-for-5 outing for Gaudet. The pair combined for 10 RBI, including six by Dean, which tied a career-high that he set against Alabama at the SEC Tournament in 2008.

The winning pitcher was LSU starter Austin Ross (1-0), who went 5.0 innings, allowing no runs on three hits while walking none and striking out five.

“I could tell in our pregame warm-ups that we were much more focused and ready to play than we were in our season opener,” Mainieri said. “I thought we swung the bats extremely well and Austin Ross gave us a superb performance.”

Of his milestone victory Mainieri said, “Of course it’s something I’m very proud of, but a lot of players and assistant coaches contributed to those 1,000 wins. I’ve been very fortunate to coach a lot of great kids at some great institutions.

Mainieri’s 28-year coaching career includes stops at St. Thomas University in Miami (1983-88), Air Force (1989-94), Notre Dame (1995-2006) and LSU (2007-present).

LSU got on the board in the first Saturday when Dean singled up the middle to score Watkins, giving the Tigers an early 1-0 advantage. Watkins led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on a hit-and-run, compliments of a Nola single.

The next batter, Hanover, reached first on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases. After a fly out by Micah Gibbs, Leon Landry reached safely when Gents shortstop Alex Todd mishandled a high fly ball in center field, allowing Nola to score from first. The Tigers led 2-0 at that point.

Mikie Mahtook followed with a deep liner in the right-center field gap that cleared the bases and gave the Tigers a 5-0 lead. Gaudet followed with a two-run homer to left to put LSU ahead 7-0.

The Tigers continued the scoring in the third when Mahtook singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Watkins to give LSU a 8-0 lead.

With the bases loaded two batters later, Dean laced a single up the middle that scored Delatte and Watkins to put the Tigers up 10-0.

LSU went ahead 12-0 when Landry ripped a two-out double to right-center, scoring Dean and Hanover.

Gaudet blasted his second homer to lead off the fourth inning against reliever Seth Lugo. The solo dinger made the score 13-0. Watkins was hit by a pitch two batters later, reached third on a single by Nola and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dean to give LSU a 14-0 advantage.

Dean ripped his fifth RBI of the evening in the fifth inning on a single up the middle, giving the Tigers a 16-0 lead.

Centenary first baseman Tell Ross put the Gents on the board in the sixth inning when he smashed a three-run homer off freshman right-hander Michael Reed. LSU led 16-3 at that point.

In the sixth inning, the Tigers erupted for six more runs, highlighted by RBI’s by Watkins and Hanover, to make the score 22-3.

Centenary added three runs in the eighth inning, highlighted by an RBI triple by second baseman Scott Pasket.

The Tigers made the score 25-7 in the eighth when center fielder Johnny Dishon ripped a two-run homer to left.

The loss was charged to Centenary starter Justin Kraft (0-1), who worked one inning and allowed seven runs on five hits.

(Release)

LSU Wins The College World Series

Louis Coleman

Louis Coleman was LSU’s opening day starter at the new Alex Box Stadium back on Feb. 20, and he appropriately got the last six outs of the season in the Tiger’s 11-4 win over Texas on June 24 in the last game of the 2009 college baseball season.  It was one of nine relief outings for Coleman (14-2, 2.93 ERA), who returned to Baton Rouge for his senior season for the chance to bring home a title.

Coleman and staff mate Anthony Ranaudo combined to go 3-0 with 30 strikeouts in 29 2/3 IP in seven combined appearances at the CWS.

In 2007 Mainieri inherited a team that had gone 35-24 a season prior to his arrival.  The Tigers were just 29-26-1 and missed the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year in his first season back in Baton Rouge (he played there for a year an met his wife before transferring).

Blake Dean and Sean Ochinko led LSU with 7 home runs apiece in ’07, but Dean’s 17

Anthony Ranaudo

HRs made him one of four Tigers to hit at least 11 long balls in 2009.   Ryan Schimpf led LSU with 22.

LSU’s run to the national championship actually started with a 4-1 loss to Vanderbilt on May 20 to open the SEC Tournament.  However, the Tigers rattled-off 14 straight wins before finally losing 5-1 to Texas in game two of the CWS Championship Series.   The Bayou Bengals outscored their opponents 117-47 in that month-long stretch.

Four of those wins came against 2008 College World Series teams (Georgia and Rice twice each).   LSU’s first game at the ’09 CWS was against Virginia, coached by Mainieri protege Brian O’Connor.  The two had taken Notre Dame to Omaha in 2002 when Mainieri was ND’s head coach and O’Connor was his pitching coach.

CWS MOP Jared Mitchell

LSU was simply across the board dominant in Omaha.  The Tigers posted a .313 team batting average, averaged 8.4 runs in 6 games, hit 13 home runs (2nd to Texas’ 14), had a 4.18 team ERA (Texas #1 at 4.02), an had a .991 fielding percentage with just two errors at the CWS.

Jared Mitchell was named College World Series Most Outstanding Player after hitting .348 with 2 HR, a triple, two doubles, 7 RBIs, and a .783 slg%.  Ochinko, who had hit 7 home runs prior to the CWS, had two home runs to cap his senior campaign.

When LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman (himself a winner of five national titles as LSU baseball coach) hired Mainieri on June 28, 2006 he said “It would take someone special to lead this program … someone who would thrive in the high expectations of a championship program. I believe LSU has found that man.”

On June 24, 2009 the circle was completed.

CLICK HERE to listen to the exclusive podcast interview Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires recorded with Paul Mainieri after LSU’s national championship win.

Other Top Moments Of 2009

3.  Longhorn Longball In Omaha

4.  Southern Mississippi Sweeps Florida To Go To Omaha

5.  The Texas vs. Boston College 25-inning Game

6.  Andrew Darr Comes Off The Bench & Comes Up Big For Arkansas

7.  Virginia Beats Stephen Strasburg In Irvine Regional Opener

8.  Washington State And Gonzaga End Long NCAA Tournament Droughts

9.  Cal Poly Gets Its First NCAA Tournament Bid

10.  Kansas’ Field of Dreams: Kansas, Kansas State & Wichita State All Get NCAA Bids

11.  Stephen Strasburg Strikes out 17 in a no hitter

12.  Ohio State’s Alex Wimmers No-hits Michigan

13.  Kansas Sweeps #1 Texas

14.  Bryce Brentz Has An April To Remember

15.  Clemson’s Kyle Parker Does Double Duty

16.  #1 Arkansas Beats #1 Arizona State

17.  Rhode Island Beats Miami And Oklahoma State

18.  Kansas State’s A.J. Morris beats Arizona State’s Mike Leake

19.  North Carolina’s Mike Fox Wins His 1,000th Game

20.  Illinois Shocks #1 LSU In Baton Rouge

21.  Alabama’s Kent Matthes Launches Longballs

22.  Freshman Levi Michael Starts In North Carolina’s Season Opener

23.  LSU Opens The New Alex Box Stadium

24.  Oregon Brings Back Baseball

Illinois Shocks #1 LSU In Baton Rouge

Illinois was not intimidated by the daunting Alex Box Stadium environment.

games dating back to the end of the 2008 season.  Not only was Paul Mainieri’s squad winning games, they were bludgeoning opponents by a combined 109-25 score in their first nine games of the season.

Enter Illinois.  The Illini was a respectable 5-1, but this was a Big 10 team…in Baton Rouge no less.  Illinois was 6-13-2 all-time vs. LSU with all 21 games on the bayou.  No problem…right?  Think again.

In the 129 previous season of Illinois baseball it would be hard to find a better three days than head coach Dan Hartleb’s squad was about to have, and a new freshman phenom was about to emerge.  Here’s how it happened:

Aaron Johnson (Illinois Photo)

Friday, March 6: LSU and Illinois were tied 1-1 in the ninth inning when Illini catcher Aaron Johnson stepped to the plate with one on and two out.   Illinois had done next two nothing all night vs. LSU starter Anthony Ranaudo, who struckout 12 before exiting after seven innings.  Johnson, Illinois’ #5 batter, was responsible for 3 of those Ks.  The junior from Sussex Corner, Neb made up for it though by launching a first pitch slider from Louis Coleman off the massive video scoreboard above the wall in left field to put Illinois on top 3-1.  The Alex Box crowd of 7,640 was stunned and later silenced when Illinois pitcher Nick Chmielewski struckout the side in the bottom of the 9th to end the game.

The win came almost 14 years to the day after Illinois’ last win over a #1 ranked team (March 5, 1995-a 7-4 win over Miami).  Illini sophomore starter Phil Haig held an LSU team that was averaging 12 runs a game to just a run on eight hits through seven innings.  He induced 12 groundouts.  Freshman reliever Corey Kimes earned the win by fanning the side in the 8th inning.  That’s right…Kimes and Chmielewski combined to strikeout the last six LSU batters of the night.

Saturday, March 7: If the Tigers were licking their wounds after Friday night’s stunner, they didn’t show it.  LSU exploded for a 22-10 game two win.  The game featured 10 home runs, 3 grand slams (all by LSU), 32 runs, 32 hits, and 11 pitchers.  None of the pitchers for either side lasted more than three innings.  Illinois’ hurlers combined to walk 11 LSU batters.  The 3 grand slams by LSU tied an NCAA record for the most in a single game and set a new SEC mark.

Willie Argo (Illinois Photo)

However, the story of the game wasn’t what the vaunted Tigers did in victory, it was was an Illinois freshman did in defeat.  Outfielder Willie Argo had sat on the bench through the first seven games of his career, but he made the most of his first collegiate opportunity.  Making his first college start in rightfield (at LSU no less) Argo went 3-for-3 with 3 home runs in his first three official at-bats (he drew a walk his third time up).

The Davenport, Iowa native hit the leftfield foul pole with the second pitch of his first career at-bat for his first home run, and then launched two shots over the left field wall in his next two official trips to the plate.  After the game Argo said “I couldn’t believe it after the first one, and then I just laughed after the second and felt like it was just one of those days after the third. They made some mistakes by giving me fastballs in the middle of the plate, and I took advantage of it.”

Argo (Press play to listen to Argo talk about his big day & Illinois’ big weekend in his podcast interview with Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires.)

Sunday, March 8: Stellar pitching and shaky defense by LSU capped Illinois’ remarkable weekend with a 6-2 Illini win.  Senior Ben Reeser had the start of a lifetime with 9 Ks in 8 2/3 innings to give his team the series win.  Illinois

Ben Reeser (Illinois Photo)

scored its first two runs thanks to a pair of LSU errors in the 3rd (somewhat ironic since LSU’s stellar defense later in Omaha was such a big part of its national championship run).  Designated hitter Casey McMurray had a pair of RBIs for Illinois, while three of his teammates had an RBI apiece.  Illinois took a 6-0 lead into the bottome of the 9th before LSU finally scored.  Chmielewski came in with one on and two outs to strikeout Nick Pontiff to end the game.  A day after his 3 home run coming out party Willie Argo was 0-for-4 with 3 Ks in the loss.

Notes On The Illinois’ Stunning Series Win:

• Aaron Johnson earned Big 10 Player of the Week honors for his efforts.  He batted .500 in the series with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs.
• Ben Reeser was named Big 10 Pitcher of the Week.
• It was the first time since 1991 that Illinois took both Player and Pitcher of the Week honors in the same week.
• Illinois entered the national rankings the following week at #21 in the Collegiate Baseball poll.
• Willie Argo started the rest of Illinois’ 45 games in 2009.  He ended his freshman season with a .355 average, a team-high 12 HR, 47 RBIs, and a .651 slg %.
• Orange was not a kind color to LSU in 2009.  The only other series the Tigers lost all year, home or away, was when they dropped 2 of 3 at home to Tennessee in April.
• LSU outscored Illinois 25-19 in the 3 games, but lost the series.
• The Tigers hit .421 (16-for-38) in their 22-10 win, but they hit a combined .227 (15-for-66) in their two losses.
• Illinois is the first team to win a game and a series in Alex Box Stadium history.
• LSU, of course, would go on to win the 2009 national championship, while Illinois would go 34-20, but miss the NCAA Tournament.

Other Top Moments Of 2009

21.  Alabama’s Kent Matthes Launches Longballs

22.  Freshman Levi Michael Starts In North Carolina’s Season Opener

23.  LSU Opens The New Alex Box Stadium

24.  Oregon Brings Back Baseball

It was another busy week.  Here’s a look at some of the new stuff we had this week on Collegebaseball360.com (just in case you blinked)!

#24 Oregon Brings Back Baseball

#23 LSU Opens The New Alex Box Stadium

#22 Freshman Levi Michael Starts For North Carolina

#21 Alabama’s Kent Matthes Launches Long Balls

#20 Illinois Shocks #1 LSU In Baton Rouge (along with Willie Argo podcast interview)

Two Sport Stars Golden Tate & Toby Gerhart win the Biletnikoff & Doak Walker Awards, respectively

A By The Numbers look at Golden Tate’s college baseball & football careers

Tate announces he is going to the NFL with video from the press conference as well

Training year round with Villanova Two Sport Star Matt Szczur

Szczur helps the Wildcats to the FCS playoff national semifinals

Monmouth adds Karl Nonemaker & Jim Belanger to its coaching staff

Former Kent State pitching coach Richard Schoonover dies

A scholarship fund established to honor former Arkansas Pine Bluff pitcher Kevin Edwards

Schedules from around the country including the Pac 10, Big 12, Big West, Big 10, Big East. CUSA, Summit, and other conferences

LSU Opens The New Alex Box Stadium

LSU's Alex Box Stadium

win over Villanova in front of 9,054 rabid LSU fans-the largest attendance in LSU baseball history.

Mainieri and Wildcat head coach Joe Godri had known one another for several years going back to Mainieri’s days in the Big East Conference with Notre Dame.  Mainieri’s Irish got the best of Godri’s Wildcats in those days, and his Tigers had the upper hand all weekend, outscoring VU 29-7 in the 3-game series sweep.  (Thank goodness for guarantee checks.)

There were fireworks overhead and firworks on the field as well as LSU leftfielder Blake Dean connected on a 3-run home run, the first long ball in the new stadium.

LSU pitcher Louis Coleman heated things up early by striking out the side in the first half inning ever played in the new digs.  He also has the distinction of earning the first win in the history of the stadium.  Who could have known at the time that he would end the 2009 season by pitching his team’s final two innings in the National Championship clinching 11-4 win over Texas at the College World Series?

In all, nearly 24,000 fans saw the future national champions sweep the 3-game series vs. Villanova in the first games in the new Alex Box Stadium.

Other Alex Box Stadium firsts:

Hit:  Micah Gibbs in the bottom of the 1st inning

Stolen Base:  Ryan Schimpf after reaching base on error

Run Scored:  Ryan Schimpf

RBI:  Jared Mitchell with two on a single to centerfield

Other Top Moments Of 2009

24.  Oregon Brings Back Baseball

BATON ROUGE — The 2009 LSU Baseball team received its national championship rings at a special ceremony Saturday in Alex Box Stadium.

• LSU head coach Paul Mainieri was inducted into the St. Thomas University Hall of Fame on Sunday, November 1.  Mainieris was the head coach at St. Thomas from 1983 to 1988 prior to his first Division I job at Air Force.  Four of his St. Thomas teams were ranked in the Divsion II top ten during his tenture.
• LSU is holding an on-going on-line auction for memorabilia from the old Alex Box Stadium.  Things like infield dirt, framed pieces of net that hung behind home plate, seats, signs, and other memorabilia are available at www.alexboxauctions.net.

The University of Kansas baseball team will play a tough schedule in 2010 that includes 30 contests against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season.

Complete 2010 Kansas Schedule (PDF)

Kansas Head Coach Ritch Price

“Our players are really looking forward to our 2010 schedule,” Price said. “It’s going to be one of the toughest in America, but we’re looking forward to some of the special places we get to play.”

Kansas opens the season at home for the first time since 2002, with a three-game series against Eastern Michigan, Feb. 19-21. KU’s annual game against Wichita State in Lawrence will be Feb. 23, wrapping up the team’s first homestand of the year.

KU will participate in the Peoria Spring Training Classic in Peoria, Ariz., at the spring training home of the Seattle Mariners. After one game at 2009 College World Series participant Arkansas in Fayetteville, the Jayhawks return home to host Iowa and Tabor, before a grueling stretch that ends with the Big 12 series opener at Baylor, March 26-28.

Between March 12-28, the Jayhawks will play 10 games away from Lawrence, including a three-game series at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., against defending national champ, LSU.

After a five-game homestand to start the month of April, the Jayhawks will be on the road for nine-straight contests, beginning with a non-conference game against Creighton at Rosenblatt Stadium on April 7, and ending with a non-conference match up with Missouri at Kauffman Stadium on April 21.

Following the Missouri game at Kauffman Stadium, KU will play 10 of its final 17 games in the comforts of Hoglund Ballpark, including home series against Big 12 foes Texas Tech (April 23-25), Missouri (May 7-9) and Oklahoma (May 21-23). KU will also host in-state rival Kansas State in the first game of a three-game series.

“Our 2010 schedule will prepare our team to compete in the Big 12 Conference and, if we’re successful, our RPI should qualify our team for the NCAA Tournament, and help us reach our goal of being a Top 25 program,” Price said.

2009 National Champions Back On The Field

Seven position players that started games last year are back for the 2010 season, including all-American senior DH/outfielder Blake Dean, junior catcher Micah Gibbs, junior outfielder Leon Landry, sophomore infielder Tyler Hanover, sophomore outfielder Mikie Mahtook, sophomore shortstop Austin Nola, and sophomore infielder Grant Dozar.

LSU returns 10 pitchers that recorded innings last season, including junior right-hander Anthony Ranaudo, a 2009 third-team All-American who was No. 3 in the nation in strikeouts with 159.

Also returning to the pitching staff is ace reliever Matty Ott,  a sophomore right-hander who established the LSU single-season saves record last year with 16 and was voted the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year.

The veterans are complemented by a talented class of 13 newcomers, including five players that have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. LSU’s incoming class was ranked No. 3 in the nation in the Collegiate Baseball magazine annual recruiting survey.

“I believe very strongly that we are going to be successful with this group of players,” Mainieri said. “There’s no doubt we can win with the kids that are here.”

LSU opens the 2010 season on February 19 versus Centenary in Alex Box Stadium.

(Courtesy LSUsports.net press release)