Dudy Noble Field at Mississippi State University has the potential to be the best college baseball field in the United States, according to a new poll by USA Today.
As part of USA Today’s Sports Readers’ Choice Awards, the newspaper is holding a poll for the best college baseball field in the United States, and as of publication, Dudy Noble is currently ranked number one.
Earlier this month, USA Today held a Readers’ Choice poll that named Starkville the number one small town in the South for the 3rd year in a row. Given the large number of people who voted for Starkville in previous polls, Dudy Noble has the potential to bring home another Readers’ Choice award for the city.
Dudy Noble has previously been ranked among the best fields in college baseball by an NCAA poll in 2024, the College Football Network in 2025 and Legion Report in 2023.
To get a better idea of what makes Dudy Noble so unique, YouTuber DSARM, otherwise known as Dan Sarmiento, recently took a tour of the field and baseball facilities at MSU. The tour was part of an ongoing video series touring college baseball fields across the nation.
Sarmiento began his tour of D1 stadiums in 2023, and he has gained nearly half a million subscribers along the way. The video for the MSU baseball facilities tour was posted on Jan. 11 and has gained over 162,000 views. Additionally, an Instagram reel showing clips from the tour has amassed over 400,000 views.
The video features leading Mississippi State baseball players Bryce Chance, a graduate student from Ridgeland who plays outfielder and remains a consistent hitter, and Tyler Pitzer, a junior from McDonald, Pennsylvania, who has pitched over fourteen innings this season.
While touring Dudy Noble Field, Chance pointed out several features that make the field unique to college baseball. One notable feature was the record-breaking game attendance of 16,423 spectators at the April 2023 MSU-Ole Miss game. Since the Vanderbilt series in March, Dudy Noble Field now holds the records for all 25 largest NCAA on-campus college baseball crowds.
The majority of those fans watch from general admission and standing-room-only tickets in Dudy Noble’s famous Left Field Lounge. In Sarmiento’s video, Chance showcases the lounge, where spectators are even allowed to grill their own food while watching the game.
Chance talked about his personal experience joining the MSU baseball team, noting that it was his number one choice. Chance told Sarmiento that a viral TikTok of him hitting a home run helped his chances tremendously.
“I was committed to a Ju-Co, and I told coach, ‘I’m coming to Mississippi State,'” Chance said, “and he said, ‘You need to talk to your Ju-Co.’ Then I told him, ‘Do not hang up this phone, I am going to Mississippi State.'”
Chance also led Sarmiento to the Ron Polk Ring of Honor near the entrance to the stadium. Ron Polk was the long-time coach for MSU baseball and is often considered the “Father of Southeastern Conference Baseball.” Chance mentions that players are sometimes given the chance to meet Polk and that he is a great contact for the university.
During Pitzer’s part of the tour, Sarmiento was shown the Pitching Lab, where Pitzer says he spends most of his time warming up.
“You have a lot of stuff to work with here,” Pitzer said. “Being a new guy here, I’ve had all the resources to kind of get back in my groove here from last year and the summer. I’ve been kind of blessed to be able to work in here.”
The two also walked through the Triple Crown Club, created in honor of MSU baseball alumni Rafael Palmeiro and Brent Rooker, the only two players from the SEC to ever win the Triple Crown, meaning they led their leagues in batting average, home runs and RBIs in their respective seasons.
Afterward, Chance led Sarmiento and his crew to the Team Lounge, where the players can relax. Chance stated that on game days, players have a surprising amount of downtime, much of which is spent in the Lounge.
One of the last rooms toured was the Palmeiro Center, a large, open room where most players practice their hitting on a makeshift field. The center had its finishing touches in 2006 and is located just west of Dudy Noble Field.
The video also includes an interview with Coach Brian O’Connor, who discussed the baseball facilities at Mississippi State.
“Here at Mississippi State, we have everything that a high-level aspiring player would want to have,” O’Connor said. “Not only for their development as a player, but for everyday use to help them become the best they can be. The atmosphere here is the best in college baseball.”
Voting for the best college baseball stadium contest is open until May 11 on the USA Today website, with the winners announced on May 20.
