15 years ago, Arkansas played its first baseball season in the SEC. Despite having made four CWS appearances in its history, including a runner-up performance in 1979, the Hogs were lucky to draw 1,000 fans....for the big games. The Hogs played at George Cole Field, which was wedged in the middle of campus, had nothing but bleacher seats, and sat 1,700 people.

I remember going to a non-conference game against TCU. The game was cold, wet, and I'll never forget the attendance for the game...36.

Have things changed in big ways here in the Natural State.

With the Razorbacks having one of the worst facilities in the SEC, Frank Broyles and the UA athletic department went to work. After raising the funds, the opening of Baum Stadium became the key that ignited a spark of newfound interest in Arkansas baseball. When it first opened, Baum held 3,000 chairback seats, with room down the first and third base lines, as well as left field, for fans to sit in the grass and enjoy baseball on a spring day.

It started to draw more and more interest, especially when Arkansas won the SEC in 1999. Hosting a regional for the first time, 6,000 fans flocked to watch the beloved Hogs hosting their first regional at the Baum.

Then DeBriyn retired. Enter Dave Van Horn into the picture.

Van Horn had already built a mammoth program at Nebraska, not only building a winner, but also by helping build a jewel of a ballpark that made Nebraska an attractive place for recruits. He saw the same potential at his alma mater, and as soon as he stepped into the role, the Hogs kept winning, and the stadium kept getting bigger. First, seats filled the first and third base lines. Now, skyboxes follow, giving the Hogs a ballpark so impressive that Kansas fans, coming down to watch the Hogs-Jayhawks series, asked if UA shared this park with a Triple-A team.

And with the sparkling facility, add a winning team and the fans will come out in droves. 10,029 came to see the Hogs win the Super Regional against Florida State, which is still the record for an NCAA Super Regional. The Hogs lead the nation in actual attendance, and in this series, 20,755 fans have made their way to the stadium in the last two days.

Quite a turnaround from that attendance of 36, isn't it?

It shows that any program can do this. College baseball is a fantastic sport, and if you can mix a great facility with a good ballclub, you've got a winning combination. The Midwest schools, from here in Arkansas, to Lincoln, Neb, to Wichita, Kan...have proven this to be true.