You think Ole Miss fans are ready for baseball? 12,117 people packed into Swayze Field on Friday night to watch the Diamond Rebs knock off No. 9 East Carolina, 5-4, in the first game of the 2017 season. The previous record of 11,729 came in 2013 against Bama.
The weather certainly helped—a first-pitch temp in the mid-60s was a welcome change from cold and drab of the last couple of Opening Days. But Friday night’s enthusiasm also speaks to Ole Miss fans’ eagerness to move past a rough nine-month stretch that included a Laremy Tunsil bong video, an endless steam of NCAA rumors and a bowl-less football season.