Thursday night college baseball on ESPNU will seem a bit different from the broadcast booth this week, as ESPN will provide a new and innovative TV presentation from Dudy Noble Field when No. 15 LSU visits No. 2 Mississippi State at 7 p.m. ET.
The renovated “New Dude” features the Left Field Lofts, two-bedroom, two-bathroom fully furnished units with open concept kitchen and living areas, along with a balcony to enjoy the atmosphere of The Carnegie Hall of College Baseball.
To open the Top 25 series, Tom Hart and Kyle Peterson will call Thursday’s game from the balcony of one of the Left Field Lofts.
What's up, @HailStateBB.
Welcome to @tom_hart & @KP_Omaha's Left Field Crib. pic.twitter.com/ad7Ndc1OGx
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 28, 2019
“I’ve never been to Carnegie Hall, but I’ve been to its baseball equivalent,” Hart commented. “After touring the new Dudy Noble Field in February, I’m confident there’s never been another college baseball stadium like this – and I’m not sure there ever will be.”
The conversation about doing commentary from the lofts started when ESPN coordinating producer Matt Sandulli saw photos and plans for New Dude earlier this year.
“When we saw the Left Field Lofts, it was a no-brainer we should do a game from up there,” Sandulli said. “The balconies provide a unique setting, and we wanted to provide the experience for the viewers. We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to produce baseball, and to have Tom and KP on the call from the balcony of such an exclusive area, we had to give fans that access.”
https://twitter.com/KP_Omaha/status/1111396728673054721
Hart and Peterson will borrow the loft from its owners Thursday night, and the telecast will peek in on the commentating crew throughout the game. The second game of the series on Friday will see the duo return to the traditional booth at New Dude for the 7 p.m. contest on SEC Network.
“The SEC is home to the best amateur baseball in the country, and each school’s investment in the sport is evident in the league’s overall success,” Hart noted. “New Dude may be a new building, but the barbecue smoke and the rising stars of baseball will be there for generations to come. Speaking of barbecue, KP and I have been meaning to put in our orders to be delivered to the balcony . . . Is that a thing?”
