Carolina Stadium

Carolina Stadium

Home of South Carolina Gamecocks baseball

Opened: February 2009

Seating Capacity: 8,242 (includes berm)

Location: Williams Street two blocks south of Blossom Street between Wheat and Catawba Street in Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina

Games seen in Database Era: 85 between March 3, 2009 and May 31, 2013

Latitude: 33.985996 N

Longitude: 81.042876 W 

Distance from my house point-to-point (as the crow flies): 37.88 miles

Driving time from my house: 56 minutes

South Carolina's Sarge Frye Field served as the home of Gamecock baseball for a long time, hosting the Gamecocks between 1956 and 2008. Sarge Frye Field was frequently renovated after it was named for groundkeeper Sarge Frye in 1980, and was a much different stadium in the mid-2000s than it was in the 1970s. While not as bad as their neighbors at Capital City Stadium, water often drained downhill into the Sarge Frye Field outfield. Extra lighting had to be brought in for television games. The stadium seated 5,000 and was expandable to 6,000, but after years of an empty stadium that capacity was no longer enough. Sarge Frye Field also faced south with no shade, causing instances of heat stroke among spectators during NCAA Regional tournaments in June. It was a nice enough stadium tucked behind the athletic village area on the south end of the USC campus, but it was not a modern baseball stadium. So after leading the school to its first appearances in the College World Series in 17 years, Gamecock coach Ray Tanner demanded a new stadium. The minor league owners also demanded a new stadium from the city as well, and as I mentioned in my Capital City Stadium review, Ray Tanner will always win when it comes to local baseball in Columbia. And with that, South Carolina would be getting a new stadium up to the standards of a Class AA professional stadium and have it all to themselves.

But that is not to say that there were not problems constructing Carolina Stadium and satisfying Tanner. When the Class A Capital City Bombers left town in 2004, it was expected that the Gamecocks would be playing at Carolina Stadium shortly thereafter. There were optimistic hopes that USC would begin play at Carolina Stadium as early as 2006, and definitely no later than 2008. Tanner recruited Charleston-area phenom Justin Smoak on the promise of someday playing in Carolina Stadium. But when Smoak was drafted in 2008 after three years at Sarge Frye Field, he would never get that chance at taking the field at Carolina Stadium. The team even hyped the 2007 season as the last season ever at Sarge Frye Field. There was an expectation that the 2007 NCAA Regionals would be the final games at Sarge Frye Field. But construction delays stemming from uncovering a rock quarry on the site delayed Carolina Stadium's debut until 2009. By the time Carolina Stadium opened on February 21, 2009 with a blowout win over a now-defunct Duquesne program, the opening was anti-climatic. The stadium had been expected for a long time, and most of the team's marquee players were gone.

But Gamecock fans for the most part did not care. Carolina Stadium seats only a little over 6,000 and is expandable to just over 8,000, only slightly bigger than its predecessor. At the time, I thought this was too small for a new stadium. And I was quickly proven right. After a surge of season ticket sales, USC had to hastily construct a set of bleachers behind the left field wall that does not fit well with the rest of the structure. Ballpark aficionados know that when a new stadium is built, one can expect a big surge in attendance. Yet it seems that South Carolina officials constructed Carolina Stadium expecting similar attendances to what the Gamecocks had at Sarge Frye Field. The team averaged 6800 fans in Carolina Stadium's first season, selling out the regular stadium seats half the time. This was more than a 35 percent jump from Sarge Frye Field's peak attendances. Of course, one normally expects with most ballparks a drop in attendance after the park has been around a few years.

But then something incredible happened. During a rain delay at the stadium's first day hosting a NCAA Regional tournament in 2010, the Gamecocks turned around a season that seemed to be just another USC season falling apart in the end. The Gamecocks came back from a four run deficit in the 6th inning to beat Bucknell after the rain delay, and then beat the Citadel and Virginia Tech to advance to the Super Regional in Myrtle Beach, where they barely squeaked past Coastal Carolina twice to make it back to the College World Series after a six year absence. USC lost its opener to Oklahoma, then somehow managed to avoid elimination by crushing top-ranked Arizona State and then defeated rival Clemson twice to make the national championship against UCLA. And then the Gamecocks went to do something they have never, ever done in a men's sport or a traditional team sport upon reaching the national championship: they won. When Whit Merrifield drove in Scott Wingo, South Carolina baseball would never be the same again. And the surge of ticket sales at Carolina Stadium would continue.

The Gamecocks would keep their momentum up, winning another national title again in 2011 and then finishing as runner-up in 2012. Carolina Stadium in 2012 averaged over 7,500 fans last year and could do the same again this year. Not counting standing room-only tickets, Carolina Stadium usually sells out its actual seats most games with well over 5,000 season ticket holders. Getting a ticket inside Carolina Stadium is usually easy except when the Gamecocks host Clemson, although you will want to buy tickets in advance for SEC games and opening weekend. It is a college baseball experience like none other that all college baseball fans must experience at least once. But just don't expect a comfortable seat with a good view when you come. 

Seating Capacity: B+

Carolina Stadium is the fourth largest college baseball stadium built primarily for college baseball (there are a few minor league stadiums bigger that share with college teams). It is built to Class AA standards, much better than what we see in college baseball. And there is no team in the NCAA with a bigger stadium than Carolina Stadium where they are the primary tenant of the park outside of the SEC. But it just so happens that South Carolina is in the SEC, and that keeps Carolina Stadium out of an A grade in this category. And as mentioned before, Carolina Stadium has a hard time seating all of those in attendance for most games. It is hard to grade down a stadium for not seating enough when it is bigger than 95 percent of all Division I stadiums. But we are talking about handling SEC baseball crowds, and Carolina Stadium sells out about 30 percent of the time. Carolina Stadium seats a lot, but it could seat more and still be full. When it was built, I thought Carolina Stadium should have had 2,000 more seats. And after the national championships, you could make a case for another 2,000 seats on top of that.

Quality of Seats: B-

If you get lucky or buy early, you can sometimes get one of the 6,000 garnet chairback seats stretching from the first base line and around home plate to around the left field foul pole. Just get one of those seats, and you will be fine. The seats are situated a bit low in being dug in from the concourse, but you can usually see over the people in front of you. Unlike Sarge Frye Field, Carolina Stadium faces north and the press box and suites provide a small amount of shade. The seats are comfortable and provides a great view of quality college baseball.

But as I have said before, for a high demand game or for that matter any game if you buy late you will not likely get one of those seats. And until the 2012 season, USC students could only get standing room tickets. For most high demand games, your seat at Carolina Stadium will be near the top of the left field bleachers, metal bench seating (at least with a back) 400 feet from home plate. Even at a MLB stadium you are likely to be closer to the action than in Carolina Stadium's outfield bleachers! And you might not get any seat, especially with ticket sales continuing to increase. Instead, you might get placed in the "Bi-Lo Berm", an odd mix of students and hyper children (and no, they will not let you sit on the Bi-Lo Berm sign itself. An usher has to get at least a few people to come off it every game). You can sometimes stand on the concourse and watch the game from behind the red line separating the concourse from the seats. My advice is if you are stuck with a general admission ticket is to watch the game standing next to the right field foul pole. You can either stand on the rail or sit on the grass, and are much closer to the action with a better view of the main scoreboard than in the left field bleachers. So depending on your ticket, you have a great chance at a good seat. Or you might be stuck with no seat at all even if you get into Carolina Stadium.

Attractiveness/Uniqueness: B

Carolina Stadium is a much more attractive stadium in the spring than in the winter. I know that might sound obvious, but that is not always the case in the South. Once the leaves have grown on the trees down the third base line separating the stadium from the banks of the Congaree River. The first base line is not much, but the Perch gives the stadium at least a little bit of a unique look. The stadium has a few features that make it stand out from other stadiums with dug in bowls like the minor league stadiums in Greensboro and Akron. As I said, the press box and the Perch/suites gives the stadium some structure to it. The view looking towards the outfield is dominated by the outfield concourse and the stairs connecting to it in left center. Unlike most outfield concourses, there are a lot of people who use it since the main entrance is behind center field and because of the issue of many fans not getting real seats. The left field bleachers fit in awkwardly with the main seating bowl, looking temporary in part because it was a last minute addition to the stadium. You can also see downtown Columbia in the distance behind center field and the buses lining Williams Street in right field separating the stadium from old warehouses (commonly mentioned when talking about Columbia stadiums). It's not a great view, but it's something and works better than at both old Sarge Frye Field and Capital City Stadium.

Concessions: A-

It is pretty similar to the fare at Colonial Life Arena, in part because they are both managed by Center Plate. All the same standard food options available at Colonial Life Arena are available at Carolina Stadium, including the Little Caesars and Teriyaki chicken stands. In addition, there is a Doc's Barbeque stand behind third base as well as a specialized SEC-themed hot dog stand behind home plate. If anything, it might be better than at Colonial Life Arena. But the ice cream is better at Colonial Life Arena, and the prices are just as high at Carolina Stadium. And for a college baseball venue, that is a bit too much. 

Parking: D

Compared to college football and all major professional stadiums, parking is somewhat reasonable at Carolina Stadium. You can park less than a mile away at Colonial Life Arena and take a shuttle for two dollars. You can also park a quarter mile away for five dollars, and about 700 feet away from the stadium for ten dollars. But there is no place else in college baseball with a parking situation like that. Sarge Frye Field also struggled with parking, but nowhere near as much as its successor. At most college stadiums, you can park 500 feet away for free. Instead, you can pay two dollars to take a shuttle after you have already parked your car. Works for a major sporting event, but regardless of what locals might think South Carolina baseball does not qualify as such. 

My advice is to park for free in the back corner of the CLA lot across from the Thirsty Fellow bar, and then rather than taking the shuttle just walk a half mile down Blossom Street underneath the overpass over the railroad tracks to get to the stadium. It's free, and without delays encountered on the shuttle. But even getting out of the CLA lot after big games is not always easy. Carolina Stadium was awfully close to receiving a failing grade in this category. As with not increasing the stadium seats, it seems USC did not plan well enough for the success of the team and the stadium in getting people into the ballpark. But there are enough affordable options that while not satisfactory at least work.

Lighting: C+

The stadium has television lighting and does not need extra lighting brought in like at Sarge Frye Field for television games. But it still seems a little dark in some areas of the park, and does not seem particularly well lit on television. It is possible to take decent pictures at night, but not easy. The lighting at Carolina Stadium is up to standard and nothing more.

Fans: B+

You will not find fans as good as South Carolina's at any minor league stadium in the country. Gamecock fans are passionate about the game of baseball, and come to the game for the game. The fans who fill Carolina Stadium are mostly there because they like college baseball and want to see a good game. Students come for the game, and not because they have no place better to hang out. The students on the right field fence are especially good as they often banter with the opposing right fielder. Some other college and minor league parks have fans more interested in ballpark festivities. And while Carolina Stadium has some of those, the 8,000 fans in attendance are there to see baseball. USC shows that Southerners are capable of caring about baseball just as much as the professional fans up North. 

There are two reasons keeping Carolina Stadium from an A grade: you still have some fans who are there because it is the place to be in Columbia, even if they do care mostly about the game. That has been especially true with the influx of bandwagon support following the national championships. Sarge Frye Field had good fans with very few bandwagon types. Sarge Frye Field also had most of its fans on top of the field, not spread out with many older season ticket holders behind home plate as at Carolina Stadium. Most of the younger fans at Carolina Stadium are in the outfield (for reasons frequently mentioned before), which takes a little bit away from the quality of the fans. But even the old folks can get into the game here at times as well.

Other Stuff: B-

Carolina Stadium is the modern state-of-the-art facility Ray Tanner had always wanted. The clubhouse and batting cages gives USC baseball the same lavish treatment athletes in football and men's basketball have at their home facilities. Everything in the stadium has a crisp and clean look. The scoreboard is elevated on poles above the outfield concourse, and is a very modern board yet not visible from the outfield bleachers. It is a modern college baseball stadium, one that goes beyond most schools in looking like a facility that can be competitive just like how football and basketball venues are designed. That was what Ray Tanner was looking for, and that is what he got. Perhaps the national championships were made possible by Carolina Stadium, although that is probably unlikely since most recruits for those teams came in while the finishing touches were still being put on the stadium.

But in being a modern facility like football and basketball, it takes away a bit of college baseball's purity at the same time. The security checkpoints are as rigid as at a major professional stadium or at Williams-Bice Stadium for football. At one time in Carolina Stadium's first season in 2009, fans frequently complained about the number of ushers keeping fans out of empty seats left by no-show season ticket holders. It forced many fans with bad seats in those seats, and the good seats looking empty on television. USC changed that policy and allowed fans to enter all sections after the 4th inning, and has gradually been less rigid since. Still, Carolina Stadium staff is less friendly than I have seen at most stadiums. Rain delays can be particularly problematic, especially with the woeful parking situation making it hard to evacuate the stadium. Usually unless a storm becomes problematic fans can stay under the press box, but if lightning is active then fans are usually crunched in the hallways leading to the press box and batting cages. They even nonsensically evacuated the bathrooms during one game a year ago. If you go to Carolina Stadium, it's best to go early in the season. Unfortunately, most pivotal SEC games and NCAA Regional games are in May and June when storms are unavoidable. It's part of the reason why ultimately I like basketball better than baseball, where rain delays do not happen indoors. 

Summary: As I said in the introduction, every college baseball fan needs to see Carolina Stadium. Carolina Stadium is perhaps college baseball at its highest level. And with any sport at its highest level, it is not always easy for the average traveling fan to just come in and enjoy a game. Certainly Carolina Stadium is much more accessible to the common fan than its parallels in college basketball and football like Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium and much of the top teams in college football. So everyone can make it out to Carolina Stadium, with some games easier than others. And once you have visited Carolina Stadium, visit some of the other mid-majors in the state like College of Charleston and Winthrop. The experience will not be at the same elevated level it is here, and you will not be watching national title contenders play. But you will still get a good college baseball experience for your money's worth and will be much closer to the action. 

Ultimately, Carolina Stadium's only major problems are being able to seat adequately all spectators and accessibility to its location from the parking lots. It also has another minor problem aggravated by the two major problems in being able to handle rain delays. But it is the great modern stadium Ray Tanner wanted, and I am sure Tanner is very happy with how things turned out for the Gamecock baseball program he built. Tanner, who inherited a weak program in the mid-1990s, has made USC college baseball's preeminent power. South Carolina ranks second only to LSU in baseball budget, spending more on baseball than most Division I schools spend on men's basketball. And when you go to Carolina Stadium, you can clearly tell that this is where USC has best spent its money. 

Overall GPA: 2.75