Cal Raleigh explains why college baseball is so good in Southeast 

College baseball is more prominent in the Southeast than in any other part of North America, and Cal Raleigh explained the reason behind it. The former Seattle Mariners catcher highlighted that while the region doesn't boast many professional teams, fans like baseball down there and thus they are naturally driven to invest heavily in the college game.

Raleigh appeared on "The Mina Kimes Show," released Friday, to discuss college baseball in the Southeast.

“Well, I think part of it is, you know, there’s not a lot of pro teams in the South in general," Raleigh said. "You know, obviously you’ve got the Braves, the Marlins, but they’re not getting a lot of fans right now. In general, that whole Southeast — there’s not a lot of baseball, and I think that’s why people gravitate more toward the college game. "I think you can even see it leaking into football and basketball — you just don’t see a lot of professional teams there," Raleigh added. "And I think that’s why it’s so popular. Obviously, with ACC and SEC baseball, you get a lot of good crowds, and that’s what people live for on those weekends. Especially in some of those smaller towns — they love it, and it’s kind of their pro teams, you know?”

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In towns from Baton Rouge to Starkville, college baseball is a cultural cornerstone.

Why college baseball thrives in the Southeast?

Culture and passion are two primary motivators for the success of college baseball in the Southeast.

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) leads the nation in college baseball attendance, with several teams averaging over 9,000 fans per game. In 2025, LSU topped the charts with an average attendance of 11,071, followed closely by Mississippi State at 11,000.

Mississippi State's Dudy Noble Field, often referred to as "The Dude," holds the NCAA record for the largest single-game on-campus baseball attendance at 16,423 fans.

Due to the high level of excitement, state-of-the-art facilities are starting to be built in the region. Baum–Walker Stadium at the University of Arkansas has a seating capacity of 10,737. Moreover, Ole Miss's Swayze Field has seen record attendance, with a peak of 12,151 fans in a single game.

This leads to a talented pool coming out of that region. 92,000 high school baseball players are from the Southeast, accounting for 19.1% of all high school players nationwide. When it comes to graduates, the figure spikes to 20.5%.

Edited by Veer Badani