App State Baseball, having achieved back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time since 2012-13, is all set to embark on an exciting 2025 season. The Mountaineers will play a 53-game schedule, with a significant portion of the games taking place in the heart of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This includes 23 home games at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium in Boone.

Season Tickets and Pricing

Season tickets are now on sale for both new purchases and renewals. Reserve seating is available for just $115 for all 23 home games at Smith Stadium, along with six home games hosted in Hickory. Faculty and staff can avail of tickets at $95. Terrace seating is priced at $225. Don't miss out on this opportunity to support your favorite team!

First Three Weeks of the Season

The Mountaineers will kick off the season by hosting games in western North Carolina. They will open the season with a weekend series against Queens in Hickory from February 14-16. After a midweek contest in High Point on February 18, App State will return to L.P. Frans Stadium for a three-game set against UMass Lowell from February 21-23. A midweek showdown with ETSU in Johnson City, Tenn. on February 25 will be followed by four consecutive games at Smith Stadium, starting with a weekend series against Gardner-Webb from February 28-March 2 and a March 4 matchup against Wake Forest.

These early games will set the tone for the season, with the Mountaineers looking to build momentum and showcase their skills. The home games in Boone will provide a great opportunity for the local fans to come out and support the team.

The team will then travel to Charleston to take on the College of Charleston from March 7-9 before opening Sun Belt play on March 14 with a three-game set against Texas State in Boone. This will be the first time that Southern Miss visits Boone for a series, adding an extra element of excitement to the schedule.

Sun Belt Conference Schedule

The 2025 road conference slate includes trips to Georgia Southern (March 21-23), ULM (April 4-6), Marshall (April 11-13), Coastal Carolina (May 2-4), and South Alabama (May 9-11). At home, the Mountaineers will host Old Dominion (March 28-30), James Madison (April 17-19), Southern Miss (April 25-27), and Georgia State (May 15-17) to close out the regular season.

Each of these conference games will be a tough challenge for the Mountaineers, but they are ready to rise to the occasion. The team will be looking to secure wins and climb the standings in the Sun Belt Conference.

In addition to the conference games, App State will also play home midweek matchups against Charlotte (March 11), High Point (March 25), Western Carolina (April 8), and ETSU (April 22). These games will provide valuable practice and preparation for the team.

Other Notable Games

In addition to hosting Wake Forest in Boone on March 4, the Mountaineers and Demon Deacons will renew their Shelby series on April 29 at Keeter Stadium. App State will also travel to play another ACC member, Duke, on April 15.

These games against higher-ranked opponents will be a great test for the Mountaineers and will help them gauge their progress throughout the season. The team will be looking to perform well and make a name for themselves on the national stage.

Six of the Mountaineers’ 2025 opponents made an NCAA Regional appearance in 2024, while 10 of their opponents finished the 2024 season ranked in the top 100 in the nation in RPI. This shows the strength of the schedule and the challenges that lie ahead for the Mountaineers.

2025 Baseball Brunch

As part of its first series of the season in Boone, App State Baseball will host its annual brunch on March 1 at 10 a.m. before an afternoon contest against Gardner-Webb at Smith Stadium. Johnny Blankenship (’81) will serve as the keynote speaker for the event. Registration is now open.

This brunch will be a great opportunity for fans to get together, enjoy some good food, and show their support for the team. It will also be a chance to hear from a special guest and get an inside look at the upcoming season.

Baseball is a sport filled with unique architectural features, and Camden Yards is no exception. New Orioles owner David Rubenstein is aiming to transform the team into a community institution, and one of the first steps is a change to the left field wall. This alteration has sparked discussions among fans and analysts alike, as it could have a significant impact on the game.

The Orioles' Left Field Wall Transformation: A Game-Changer

Origins of Gimmicky Outfield Walls

Gimmicky outfield walls have long been a part of baseball history. Their origins can be traced back to downtown ballparks built in the early 1900s on limited lots. Fenway Park's Green Monster is the most famous example, but similar features can be found across the league. In the 1990s, when MLB teams started building new baseball-only stadiums, architects got creative with these walls. High scoreboard walls in Houston and Pittsburgh, and funny angles in Philadelphia and San Francisco were designed to generate triples and inside-the-park home runs.Oriole Park at Camden Yards has always been hitter-friendly, but in 2021, things got out of hand. The Orioles lost 110 games, allowing a high staff ERA and a league-leading number of home runs. This led to the decision to move the left field wall.

The 2022 Wall Adjustment

Before the 2022 season, the Orioles increased the height of the left field wall from seven feet to 13 feet. They also installed a sharp dogleg and moved the left-center field marker. This change was made to reduce the number of home runs allowed. However, it was not without its flaws. The new wall looked artificial and disrupted the flow of the game.There have been previous attempts to adjust the dimensions of Camden Yards. In 2001, the plate was moved back seven feet, but this change was short-lived. The infield dimensions also sparked some interesting discussions about the flexibility of the rules.

Impact on Hitters and Pitchers

The change in the left field wall has had a significant impact on hitters and pitchers. Right-handed power hitters are expected to see more home runs, while pitchers will need to adjust their strategies. The lower fence will also provide opportunities for home run robbers.Ryan Mountcastle, the Orioles' first baseman, has been affected by the change. As a dead-pull hitter in the minors, he now sprays line drives all over the place. However, his approach has led to an underperformance in terms of xSLG. We'll have to wait and see how he adjusts in the future.

Examples and Predictions

To illustrate the impact of the wall change, let's look at some examples. On July 14 of this year, Luke Weaver threw a fat changeup that Mountcastle crushed. Play-by-play man Matt Vasgersian was convinced it was a home run, but it fell just short. According to Statcast, this ball would have been a home run in 25 out of 30 major league parks.While the wall is coming in and down, it's not a significant change. We can expect a few more home runs, but the overall impact may not be as dramatic as some might hope. Fans are looking forward to seeing how the new dimensions play out in the coming seasons.In conclusion, the transformation of Camden Yards' left field wall is a significant development for the Orioles. It represents a middle ground between the dinger-happy past and the more balanced approach of recent years. Only time will tell how this change will affect the team and the game of baseball.