Attendance champs

Arkansas led college baseball in cumulative and average paid attendance during the 2022 season.

According to NCAA attendance figures that are based on tickets sold, the Razorbacks’ total attendance of 363,153 and average attendance of 10,376 edged LSU, which had a total attendance of 362,759 and an average of 10,365. Both teams played 35 home games.

It is believed to be the first season Arkansas has ranked first nationally in attendance, though an NCAA site that tracks attendance is missing data for some years.

The Razorbacks ranked first in average attendance in 2007, but LSU played six more home games and led in total attendance that year. The 2007 season was the first following a large-scale expansion that added seating to Baum-Walker Stadium.

The Razorbacks had a total actual attendance of 169,402, based on tickets scanned, for an average of 4,840 per game. Arkansas had a 28-7 record at Baum-Walker Stadium with a schedule that included games against heavyweights Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU and Vanderbilt.

As has been the case for the past decade, the SEC dominated attendance rankings with eight of the top 10 teams. Arkansas and LSU were followed in cumulative attendance by Mississippi State (3), Ole Miss (4), South Carolina (5), Florida (7), Texas A&M (8) and Tennessee (10).

Arkansas’ five games at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., were all among the 18 most-attended games of the year. The Razorbacks’ 3-2 victory over Ole Miss on June 22 had the thirdhighest attendance (25,401) this season behind the two national championship games between Ole Miss and Oklahoma, which drew announced attendances of 25,792 and 25,813.

Arkansas’ largest announced attendance at Baum-Walker Stadium was 11,772 for a May 13 game against Vanderbilt. The 9,961 tickets scanned for that game were also a season high.