Diamond Dogs Continue Ticket Delivery Tradition
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) — Ardent Bulldog fans Ken and Anna Hood have been Mississippi State baseball season ticket holders since well before the current Dudy Noble Field grandstand was opened in 1987. In addition to having season tickets in the Dudy Noble Field grandstand, they also have a trailer on the front row of MSU’s popular left field lounge.
(Joe Dier/MSU SID)
Ken and Anna Hood (center) look over their 2013 MSU baseball season tickets delivered Saturday by Diamond Dog baseball players Trevor Fitts (left) and Trey Porter (right).
They are members of MSU Baseball’s Foster Parent program and have followed the Bulldogs to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., and on the road for SEC and NCAA Tournament competition. With a knock on the door of the Starkville home Saturday morning they experienced a first in their years of backing the Diamond Dogs: two members of the MSU team hand-delivered their 2013 baseball season tickets. Sophomore pitcher Trevor Fitts of Helena, Ala., and senior first baseman Trey Porter of Hurley, Miss., did the delivery honors this year.
“It was a great experience opening the door and having Trevor and Trey hand us our baseball season tickets,” said Ken Hood. “It’s exciting to have them deliver the tickets and it makes us all the more anxious to get the 2013 season started.”
It’s the fifth year that members of the MSU baseball team, divided into two-player teams, have delivered baseball season tickets to some of State’s baseball patrons in the Starkville community. The team project was initiated in 2009 by MSU head baseball coach John Cohen, with hundreds of season tickets distributed personally by Diamond Dog players since the program’s start.
“The ticket delivery program affords our players another great opportunity to connect directly with some of our great fans away from Dudy Noble Field,” said Cohen, set to begin his fifth season as MSU skipper. “We have a great appreciation for the tremendous support our fans provide. This is just another way to say thank you face-to-face and help introduce our younger players to members of our fan base.”
Baseball season ticket sales at State have eclipsed the 5,000 mark for the 12th consecutive year and are nearing the school-record 5,632 baseball season tickets distributed in 2010. This year’s package includes a school-record 37 Bulldog games at Dudy Noble Field.
Mississippi State launches its 123rd season of baseball Feb. 15-17 when the Bulldogs, ranked fifth in Baseball America preseason poll, host the University of Portland in a four-game weekend series.
Fans get an opportunity to meet the 2013 team and hear former MSU and current Washington Nationals standout Tyler Moore Feb. 9 when State hosts its “First Pitch/Fan Day” baseball celebration at the Palmeiro Center. Tickets ($12) for the 11 a.m. event are available now through the MSU Athletic Ticket Office (662-325-2600 / www.HailState.com/tickets).
Leave a Reply