While Aggie sports are known for their loud, proud and large fan bases, Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, home of Aggie baseball, is known for a whole different breed of fans.
The student section of Olsen Field, or Section 203, is where Rob White, senior sports management major, said he sits every game.
“In Aggie baseball, we don’t do yells – we come with our own chants and we regulate ourselves,” White said. “[Section] 203 becomes your family. You’re not having to deal with new people every time, like you do when you go to a football game or basketball game. That’s one of the beauties of smaller sports at A&M – you start going to those games regularly and you get to know the other people who go regularly.”
White said the regulars of Section 203 do a number of unusual things, from dancing and wearing costumes to sing the Schulte Roofing Company jingle when a ball hits the overhang of the field.
Shelby Hanner, sophomore biological and agricultural engineering major, said she has participated in chants and cheers since her freshman year. Hanner said she knew she would be attending a lot of baseball games during her time at A&M because of her family’s dedication to the sport.
“I usually go with my parents – I come from a baseball family,” she said. “My mom gets really into it and my dad just kind of sits back and laughs.”
Darcy Jacoby, senior agricultural communications and journalism major, said Olsen Field sets a different tone for spectators than other sports do.
“The atmosphere is different,” Jacoby said. “With Kyle Field, there’s a lot of people and a lot of noise, but with baseball we don’t do any of the Aggie yells and I think it’s a little more intimate.”
The Aggie spirit is part of what makes Aggie baseball so enjoyable, Jacoby said.
“I appreciate the uniqueness because Aggie baseball is even more involved with fans than at a major league game,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun, not just because of the sport but because of the Texas A&M atmosphere.”
White said the atmosphere of Olsen Field is more laid back, which allows him to have fun and relax while watching the sport.
“It’s a great ball park and a great place to watch a baseball game,” White said. “You don’t have to worry about classes and you can let your mind wander and enjoy some good old-fashioned baseball.”