Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park

{{short description|Baseball park at Texas A&M University}} {{for|the park located in Pennsylvania|Blue Bell Park}} {{Infobox venue | name = Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park | nickname = "Home of Olsen Magic" | image = [[Image:Olsen_Field_Home_Plate_View.jpg|250px]] | location = 301 Olsen Boulevard<br>[[College Station, Texas]] 77843 | broke_ground = 1977 | opened = March 21, 1978 | renovated = February 2012 | closed = | demolished = | owner = [[Texas A&M University]] | operator = [[Texas A&M University]] | surface = Tifway 419 [[Bermuda Grass]] (Outfield)<br>Latitude 36 [[Bermuda Grass]] (Infield) | construction_cost = | architect = | former_names = Olsen Field | tenants = [[Texas A&M Aggies baseball]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1978–Present) | seating_capacity = 6,100<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.12thman.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205237884 |title=Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park - Texas A&M; Official Athletic Site - 12thman.com |access-date=2014-09-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603023144/http://www.12thman.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205237884 |archive-date=2015-06-03 }}</ref>

| | record_attendance = 8,075 (April 13, 2024 vs Vanderbilt) <ref>{{cite web|url= https://12thman.com/sports/baseball/stats/2024/vanderbilt/boxscore/21654 |title=Baseball vs Vanderbilt on 4/13/2024 - Box Score |website=12thman.com |access-date=2024-04-14}}</ref> | dimensions = 330 ft (LF/RF), 375 ft (LC/RC), 400 ft (CF) }}

'''Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park''' is a [[baseball stadium]] in [[College Station, Texas]], that is home to the [[Texas A&M University|Texas A&M]] [[Texas A&M Aggies baseball|baseball program]]. The [[stadium]] was dedicated on March 21, 1978, and is named in honor of [[C. E. "Pat" Olsen]], a 1923 graduate of [[Texas A&M University]] and a former [[baseball]] player in the [[New York Yankees]] minor league system. Olsen Field has served as an [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] regional site five times and had its 1999 regional attendance ranked second with 53,287. The first NCAA Regional Tournament held at Olsen Field was in 1989. In 2004, ''[[Sports Illustrated on Campus]]'' ranked Olsen Field "the best college baseball venue."

Olsen Field underwent a major renovation that began on June 7, 2011, funded in part by donations from the owners of [[Blue Bell Creameries]], based in nearby [[Brenham, Texas|Brenham]]. In return, Blue Bell gained naming rights. Some new features of the stadium included an expanded concourse and concessions area, luxury suites, a new press box, club seating, two grass berms, expanded locker rooms and coaches offices, a student athletic center, and extended seating closer to the field. However, the [[seating capacity]] was decreased from 7,000 to 5,400 to accommodate the changes (although with standing room only will still hold over 7,000). Olsen Field reopened on February 17, 2012, for the first game of the 2012 baseball season even though some projects were not completely finished; the remaining work was completed on non-game days.

In 2015, the Aggies ranked 7th among [[List of NCAA Division I baseball programs|Division I baseball programs]] in attendance, averaging 4,857 per home game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/baseball_RB/2016/Attend.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-02-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520210118/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/baseball_RB/2016/attend.pdf |archive-date=2017-05-20 }}</ref> On April 13, 2024, a new post-renovation attendance record was set, with 8,075 watching the Texas A&M Aggies defeat the Vanderbilt Commodores by a score of 9-0.

[[File:BlueBellParkEXTERIOR.JPG|thumb|Blue Bell Park, Front Facade]] [[File:BlueBellParkSTANDS.JPG|thumb|Blue Bell Park, Stands]]

==See also== * [[List of NCAA Division I baseball venues]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.12thman.com/facilities/?id=2 Aggie Athletics Blue Bell Park Web Page]

{{Texas A&M Aggies baseball navbox}} {{Southeastern Conference baseball venue navbox}} {{Texas NCAA Division I college baseball venue navbox}}

[[Category:Texas A&M Aggies baseball venues]] [[Category:Baseball venues in Texas]] [[Category:Sports venues in College Station, Texas]] [[Category:1978 establishments in Texas]] [[Category:Sports venues completed in 1978]]