Oct. 6, 2004

WACO, Texas - During a season in which the program established two single-game Baylor Ballpark attendance records, Baylor baseball ranked 19th nationally in average attendance, according to data released Tuesday by the NCAA.

Baylor Ballpark, which was selected as the nation's third-best park in a survey of Division I coaches conducted by Baseball America in 2003, attracted 90,693 fans to 33 home dates in 2004 for a per-game average of 2,748. Baylor was the fourth-highest per-game draw in the Big 12 Conference behind only Texas A&M (5,225), Texas (4,947) and Nebraska (3,700).

Louisiana State averaged 7,802 fans per game and led the nation for the ninth consecutive season. Mississippi State (6,214) was second, followed by Texas A&M, Texas, Arkansas (4,784), Alabama (4,428), South Carolina (3,882), Wichita State (3,793), Nebraska and Clemson (3,649). Other Big 12 schools in the top 50 were Texas Tech (20th - 2,740), Oklahoma State (34th - 1,677) and Oklahoma (43rd - 1,244).

Baylor established a single-game facility attendance record April 16, 2004, when 5,602 fans packed Baylor Ballpark for the Bears' game against top-ranked Texas. The Bears' May 18 game against third-ranked Rice drew a crowd of 3,134, the largest midweek attendance in Baylor Ballpark history. One week earlier, Baylor Ballpark welcomed its 500,000th fan for the Bears' May 11 game against UT-Arlington.

The Bears have ranked 21st or better nationally in average attendance every year since Baylor Ballpark's opening in 1999, including ninth in 2001. Baylor also has finished 20th or better nationally in total attendance every year in that time, including a program-best 13th in 2001.

Baylor opens its 2005 season Feb. 11-13 at the Astros Minute Maid Park College Classic in Houston, Texas. The Bears play 30 home games in 2005, including 20 against 2004 NCAA Regional participants. Baylor's first home game is Feb. 15 against UT-Arlington at 6 p.m. CST.