They may have never stepped foot between the chalk lines on the first and third base lines of Alex Box Stadium, but there are many people who have been vital to the success of LSU baseball. Millions of people, in fact. “The Box” has been LSU’s home for nearly 70 years, and during that time, its fans have gained a reputation for being some of the most unique in the country. “The fans are a big part of the whole experience of LSU baseball,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “I find them to be very knowledgeable fans that understand the nuances of the game. They appreciate players who play hard and play the game the right way.” The stadium will close at the end of this season, and the thousands of fans who watch the Tigers each game will have to grow accustomed to a new stadium. LSU finished first in attendance among college baseball stadiums each year between 1996 and 2005. Several fans said they will be sad to see the stadium go, but they know a new facility is needed. “It’s time to move,” said Chris Guillot, a long-time attendee of the park. “If you don’t realize that, you’ll realize it when you’re in the new stadium.” Guillot has been attending the stadium on a regular basis since 1986 and is known for leading cheers in the stadium’s grandstand. He said the fans, players and coaches are more important than the building itself. “The secret of LSU baseball is the family,” he said. “We’re not just fans. We’re a family.” Guillot said some of his best memories in the stadium revolve around interactions with other fans and the relationships he has built while coming to the stadium. “A house is just a house,” Guillot said. “What makes it a home is its people.” Guillot even proposed in the stadium. “The game stopped on a Friday night and people threw confetti on me and everything,” he said. “The umpire stopped the game, they put it on the scoreboard, and he handed me the game ball.” Anita Haywood is another long-time fan and said she likes the family atmosphere of the park. Haywood is a school teacher in Baton Rouge by day, but is known by baseball fans as “The K Lady” when game time rolls around. “I raised my family here,” she said. “Over 20-something years, you get accustomed to families. We started off as young mothers, and now we’re seeing our children have babies.” Haywood hangs wooden boards with the letter K on the fence near home plate each time an LSU pitcher records a strikeout. She started her personal tradition in the late 1980s to support former Tiger Ben McDonald who struck out 373 batters during his time in the purple and gold. She said she will have to stop her tradition in the new stadium, and she will miss the routine. “I’m going to miss hanging the K’s,” she said. “There’s going to be no place to hang them in the new stadium.” Kristy McCoy, kinesiology junior, said the stadium is important to her. “Alex Box Stadium is where I learned all about baseball,” she said. “I kind of grew up on LSU baseball in that ballpark. It will be hard not having the same seat I’ve had for over 10 years.” McCoy said she thinks a new stadium is needed to keep up with other schools in the nation. “It’s great the team is moving to a new stadium,” McCoy said. “Facilities have become a huge deciding factor for a lot of high school seniors trying to decide where they want to spend the next four years playing baseball, and … although Alex Box is historical, it does not have the same high-profile facilities as a lot of other programs in the SEC and around the country.” Mike Graves, a former student, said he likes the current stadium, but agrees it is time to move. “There is so much history in the old stadium that it is hard for me to come up with the perfect reason why they should rebuild,” Graves said. “They did need to modernize the stadium, and I understand why they are.” Graves now lives in McComb, Miss., but said he came into town this past weekend for Sunday’s game against South Carolina. “I had to go to one last game before they closed it down,” he said. “I’ve been coming to games since I was 11.” When the new stadium opens, it will have a higher capacity than the current stadium’s 7,760 and many areas designed for the fans and their families, including an arcade, novelty shops and children’s playgrounds. “I hope more fans and students will come out and show more support for our team [in the new stadium],” McCoy said. “[Their] record might not be all impressive, but the team is fun to watch and extremely talented.”
—-Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]