re: When did the SEC baseball culture begin?

The rest of the country also grows up playing youth baseball, so it doesn't really answer the question as to why Southeast is so passionate about the college sport.

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Skip Bertman documentary "Hold the Rope."

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Haven’t watched it in a while but wasn’t part of the early years having players working on fences and painting dugouts?

Wish I went to more games back then. Freshman in 87. Who knew what was to come?

If you look that numbers the Midwest carries a majority of schools that provide a baseball program (from JUCO thru D1) followed by the Southeast and then a sharp decline for all other regions.

However, the percentage of players who would play at level above highschool from the Southeast is just above the median - removing Florida and Georgia from those numbers would put the Southeast just above the Pacific Northwest.

I don't think the board realizes how huge youth baseball in popularity and participation up the Mid-atlantic to the Northeast really is. Add in that the further North you go the popularity of football really starts dropping and you start seeing a big distinction in the regions.

LINK

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At birth lol

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Baseball was my favorite sport to play growing up. I remember visiting relatives in Kentucky, and we'd start a game. People driving by would join us, and before you knew it, we'd have 20-30 people playing. It was a lot of fun.

Sadly, we had no college baseball culture like you do in the South.

the man in the middle - Sumter native and still resident - Bobby Richardson the 1960 World Series MVP - came home to coach Carolina in 1970 effectively establish Gamecock baseball as the program it still is today - 48-8 in 1974 and 51-6-1 in 1975 and Runner-Up at the CWS -

Richardson was later persuaded by President Ford to leave coaching and run for Congress in the late 70's - and turned the program over to June Raines who carried on the Omaha tradition into the mid 90s until retirement - enter Ray Tanner -

after the unsuccessful run for Congress - Richardson then went to USC-Coastal Carolina and coached for 2 seasons - Coastal is the only other CWS championship program in SC outside of USC -

baseball has always been a favorite and followed sport in SC and the Carolinas including Dixie Youth leagues -

Richardson's career with the Yankees included -

8× All-Star (1957, 1959², 1962–1966)
3× World Series champion (1958, 1961, 1962)
World Series MVP (1960)
5× Gold Glove Award (1961–1965)

he was 220-92-2 (.705) in 7 seasons as skipper of Gamecock baseball -

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Sully came to Florida around 2008. He built Florida into a national title contender every year since.

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Florida was a powerhouse before Sully. They just never broke through to win a national title. Andy Lopez and Pat McMahon laid a great foundation for Sully to take it a step further.

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Probably when Mizzou came into the equation.

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I appreciate the obvious sarcasm.

Of course they do. But, the weather in the south is more conducive to baseball.

I would say the early 2000’s.

Arkansas built Baum. Ole Miss expanded Swayze. LSU built the new Box…Then the fan support and money generated created an arms race in baseball facilities within the league. Teams have indoor facilities allowing more of a year around practice schedule during heat and winter months. Teams have dedicated weight rooms and training facilities.

Mississippi State more recently renovated The Dud. All four of the teams mentioned have outstanding fan support and in one order or another, are always top 4 in national attendance.

South Carolina has fallen off, but they invested in bigger and nicer facilities as well. Florida just built a new stadium as well.