I've known for some time about LSU's Bat Girls, but the issue became especially relevant after realizing that Ole Miss, whom the Tigers are facing right now in the last game of the night, has its very own Diamond Girls. From what I've seen here at the tournament, they are well-outfitted in school-color skirts, attentive to the needs of the players and umpires alike, and all quite attractive. This can't be bad for the sport.

After talking with Ole Miss SID Bill Bunting, I learned that the Diamond Girls actually paid their own way to Hoover from Oxford. This means more than a bit of fundraising for the Girls, including an annual calendar featuring the squad. For LSU's part, the 30 Bat Girls must maintain a 2.0 GPA or above, and their responsibilities include "selling game day programs, recovering foul balls, retrieving bats and helmets, answering fans questions, assisting with gameday promotions and giveaways and checking on umpires." Here at the Met, that's mostly restricted to keeping track of their team's equipment, but for their troubles they end up with the best seats in the house, right outside the dugout. In fact, the more I squint (or use my SEC-media-gift binoculars) to see the full story on the field, I think these girls might be on to something.

Faithfully reported,
JG