University of Tennessee Athletics
Lindsey Nelson Stadium
September 25, 2002 | Baseball
9/25/2002
Tour Lindsey Nelson Stadium
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The Tennessee baseball program embarked on a new era in 1993 as the gates opened to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for the first time Feb. 23, 1993.
Built at a cost of $2.2 million, the facility gives UT one of the finest collegiate ballparks in the nation.
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Among the features are a state-of-the-art press box which includes radio booths for both home and visitor, a VIP booth with padded theater-style seats, a television broadcast booth and a hospitality area.
On the field, both the Vols and the visiting team benefit from spacious dugouts. The space beneath the seating area was renovated in 1994 and includes a spacious locker room for the Vol players and a locker room for the coaching staff. Also featured is an equipment room, a training room, a video room, a traditions room, a hitting tunnel, a mound and a team lounge area, which has a big screen TV and ping pong and pool tables.
Fans to UT baseball games benefit from elevated seating, which affords a clear view of the playing field from any angle. Spacious restrooms as well as a large concession area also help create an ideal atmosphere for fans.
Provided with excellent conditions in which to enjoy the games, Vol fans came out by the thousands each weekend as witnessed by the fact that Tennessee drew 81,801 spectators and ranked ninth nationally in 1995 after drawing 58,300 in 1994 and 44,704 in 1993. In 1996, a record average of 1897 fans saw the Volunteers play, for a total of 56,916, the largest regular-season total ever. Tennessee set a regular-season record for attendance in 1997, seeing a total of 64,107 fans pass through the turnstiles.
To top it all off, Lindsey Nelson Stadium was the host site for the NCAA Mideast Regionals in 1993, 1994 and 1995. In 1995, the Mideast Regional ranked fifth among the eight sites with 18,787 fans attending the games. Tennessee had three crowds among the top 10 largest to ever see a game at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. In the Regional final, a record crowd of 5086 saw the Vols earn a trip to the College World Series by defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys 3-1.
The Vols have ranked in the top 15 in national attendance in four of the last eight years.
Inside the Vols' Clubhouse
LINDSEY NELSON STADIUM NOTEBOOK
Capacity: 4000
Dimensions: L-335, LC-373, C-404, RC-358, R-330
Fence Height: 10 Feet
First Game: Feb. 23, 1993 - Tennessee 14, East Tennessee State 5
Largest Crowd: 5086 vs. Oklahoma State, May 28, 1995
UT Record at Lindsey Nelson: 204-60 (.772)
TOURNAMENTS HOSTED
1993 NCAA Mideast Regional
1994 NCAA Mideast Regional
1995 SEC Eastern Division Tournament
1995 NCAA Mideast Regional
2001 NCAA Knoxville Regional
LINDSEY NELSON STADIUM GROUND RULES
1. The field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium is completely enclosed. The only way a ball can leave the field is in the dugout area, over the fence or through the gate.
2. Dugout limitation - any ball that rolls over the top and into the dugout is a dead ball. All of the tartan lip is live. If the ball hits any part of the dugout, it is a dead ball.
3. The foul poles, flag pole, light standards and scoreboard are all outside the park.
4. The backstop does not have any apparent holes, but the padding has spaces that the ball can lodge in, which would result in a dead ball and book rule applied.
5. Benches in bullpen are live.
6. Tarp area - Any ball that lodges under, behind or in the cylinder of the tarp is dead. A player may have one knee on the tarp to make a catch.
7. Players are not allowed to warm up or hit pepper in the dugout area.
LINDSEY NELSON
The University of Tennessee's baseball facility is named in honor of one of the school's most distinguished alums.
The late broadcasting legend Lindsey Nelson, a native of Columbia, Tenn., began his storied association with his alma mater in the late 1930s as an undergraduate.
He served as a student assistant to legendary Tennessee football coach Gen. Robert R. Neyland, started the Vol Radio Network in 1949 and later assumed the post of sports information director in 1951.
Nelson moved to the national network level in the 1950s, announcing college football and professional baseball for the Liberty Broadcasting Network.
The staggering list of sporting events broadcast by Nelson on radio and television includes the World Series, the Davis Cup, the Masters, the National Open, the Rose, Cotton and Sugar Bowls, the NFL Championship Game, the NBA Championships and the NIT Tournament.
His ties to baseball are legendary as he served as the New York Mets' lead broadcaster for 17 seasons and as the voice of the San Francisco Giants for three campaigns.
He was named National Sportscaster of the Year on five occasions, and has been inducted into no less that 12 halls of fame throughout the nation.
Nelson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, N.Y., in 1988, the New York Mets' Hall of Fame at Shea Stadium, the State of New York Sports Hall of Fame, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in Salisbury, N.C., the American Sportscasters Hall of Fame in New York City, the Mutual Broadcasting Hall of Fame in Nashville, the East Tennessee Hall of Fame for the Performing Arts in Knoxville, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in Baton Rouge, La.
LINDSEY NELSON STADIUM RECORDS
Vols Home Attendance at Lindsey Nelson Stadium
| Year | Grand Total (rank) | Regular Season (rank) | Post Season | Season Average (rank) |
| 1993 | 44,704 (15) | 35,069 (18) | 9635 | 1096 (17) |
| 1994 | 58,300 (14) | 42,028 (17) | 16,272 | 1767 (13) |
| 1995 | 81,801 (9) | 56,618 (15) | 25,183 | 1948 (12) |
| 1996 | 56,916 (10) | 56,916 (10) | none | 1897 (11) |
| 1997 | 64,107 (15) | 64,107 (13) | none | 2137 (14) |
| 1998 | 39,506 (23) | 39,506 (23) | none | 1519 (22) |
| 1999 | 38,600 (27) | 38,600 (27) | none | 1331 (25) |
| 2000 | 41,289 (28) | 41,289 (24) | none | 1115 (nr) |
| 2001 | 45,397 (27) | 36,783 (34) | 8,614 | 1565 (26) |
| 2002 | 35,451(nr) | 35,451 (nr) | none | 1143 (nr) |
Note: 1995 Postseason attendance figure includes the 1995 SEC Eastern Division Tournament and NCAA Mideast Regional; 1994 Postseason attendance figure includes NCAA Mideast Regional; 1993 Postseason attendance figure includes NCAA Mideast Regional. But, postseason attendance figure only includes games Tennessee participated in at home during those tournaments.
Vols' Record at Lindsey Nelson Stadium
| Year | Wins | Losses | Percentage |
| 1993 | 27 | 8 | .771 |
| 1994 | 26 | 7 | .788 |
| 1995 | 35 | 7 | .833 |
| 1996 | 24 | 6 | .800 |
| 1997 | 25 | 5 | .833 |
| 1998 | 19 | 7 | .731 |
| 1999 | 21 | 10 | .677 |
| 2000 | 27 | 10 | .730 |
| 2001 | 21 | 9 | .700 |
| 2002 | 19 | 12 | .613 |
| Totals | 244 | 81 | .751 |
Top 15 Lindsey Nelson Stadium Crowds
| Date | Opponent | Attendance |
| May 28, 1995 | Oklahoma State * | 5086 |
| May 28, 1993 | UNC-Charlotte * | 4657 |
| May 25, 1995 | The Citadel * | 4195 |
| May 13, 1994 | Florida | 4161 |
| May 25, 2001 | Middle Tennessee State | 4139 |
| April 24, 1993 | Georgia | 4097 |
| May 14, 1994 | Florida | 4065 |
| May 27, 1995 | Oklahoma State * | 3720 |
| May 27, 1994 | Northeastern * | 3596 |
| May 30, 1994 | Arizona State * | 3488 |
| May 29, 1994 | Arizona State * | 3367 |
| March 29, 1997 | Louisiana State | 3337 |
| May 12, 1996 | Florida | 3336 |
| May 21, 1995 | Kentucky # | 3245 |
| May 11, 1996 | Florida | 3219 |
| * NCAA Regional Tournament # SEC Eastern Division Tournament | ||
