Help or Hurt? College World Series stadium dimensions are bigger than Swayze Field
There’s no question the Omaha-bound Ole Miss Rebels rely on power to produce runs. Not solely, but substantially.
This season so far, the Rebs have hit 99 compared to 73 for their first foe in Nebraska – Auburn.
So how does that translate to Charles Schwab Field, where the College World Series is played annually?
First, let’s compare the field dimensions.
Schwab is bigger than Swayze Field at OU Stadium.
The left and right field lines at Schwab, 335 feet compared to 330 at Swayze. The alleys are also bigger in Omaha, 375 to 365 and the biggest difference is dead center, 408 at Schwab compared to 390 at Swayze.
That may not sound like a huge difference, but it is certainly substantial and it’s not all about distance according to Ole Miss Hitting Coach Mike Clement.
“Schwab plays significantly bigger, not just because of the dimensions being bigger,” Clement noted. “The way the stadium is placed, the wind direction usually hurts the batter in terms of hitting balls out.
“I’m not saying there won’t be home runs because is Kemp Alderman, for instance, get hold of one, Yellowstone Park won’t hold him, but some balls that would go out of Swayze are definitely going to be lazy outs in Schwab.”
The comparison Clement draws is Schwab plays like Swayze in February and March.
“When it’s colder in Swayze in the early part of the season, balls don’t leave the yard as much as they do when it warms up,” he explained.
“Even though it will be hot in Nebraska, the best comparison I can make is that the ball will carry, due to the wind, like it does early in the year at Swayze.”
The Rebels head to Omaha with five players in double figures in home runs.
Ole Miss is led by Tim Elko with an Ole Miss record 22, Jacob Gonzalez with 17, Peyton Chatagnier with 11 due to a late season surge, and Alderman and Kevin Graham with 10 each.
The Rebs’ first College World Series opponent, Auburn, has hit 73 home runs this year led by Sonny DiChiara with 22. No other Tiger has double figure round trippers.
The dimensions at Auburn’s field is overall smaller than Swayze other than the left field power alley. 315 feet down the left field line, 330 right field line, 385 in the left field alley and dead center and 360 in the right field alley.
What does all this mean?
Even though Schwab plays bigger, Clement does not see changing the Rebs’ approach this late in the year.
“One, it’s not big enough to change how we do things. Two, it’s too late in the year to change drastically,” Clem noted. “Three, in the super regional we only had one home run so we were not dependent on the long ball to get here.
“True, we hit several in the regional but the ball was carrying well in Coral Gables.”
In the end, if the Rebs continue to swing the bats like they have in the last month of so, home runs or not, it won’t make a substantial difference in the end results.
Ole Miss may not hit as many homers in the College World Series as we are used to seeing from them, but neither will the opposition.
It’s a pitcher’s park and the way the Rebs’ pitching has evolved, that’s a plus.
