Mississippi
Why new Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor wanted dirt batter’s box instead of turf
STARKVILLE — The playing surface at Charles Schwab Field is dirt where Mississippi State baseball hopes to be playing in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
So, if that stadium has dirt, why shouldn’t MSU’s Dudy Noble Field?
That was part of the thought process for new Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor as changes were made to the playing surface.
New for the 2026 season is a dirt batter’s box and dirt basepaths leading to first and third base. Previously, they were turf.
Foul territory and the warning track will remain turf but it has been replaced. The rest of the field is dirt and grass.
“I get why it was turf,” O’Connor told The Clarion Ledger on Jan. 21. “You get rain, it’s better off being turf. But where the national championship is played, your spikes digging into the batter’s box are in dirt.”
O’Connor said it wasn’t solely his decision, but a collective one with administration and the grounds crew. There were already plans to get new turf for foul territory and the warning track before O’Connor was hired in June.
The new dirt and turf were installed after fall practices and ahead of opening day when Mississippi State hosts Hofstra on Feb. 13.
“I do like that,” O’Connor said. “That said, it wasn’t that big of a deal to me. But there were some things going on actually with the playing surface that by going to dirt base paths helped.”
The logos in foul territory have also been changed. The banner M logos adjacent to first and third base are gone. The Mississippi State baseball M over S logo is now behind home plate.
Mississippi State had turf in the batter’s box since 2014.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.