Texas baseball takes a swing at SEC stadiums with fan-friendly Yeti Yard seating section

Some 7,935 fans made their way to UFCU Disch-Falk Field last Friday for Texas' baseball season opener, a 7-3 win over San Diego.

That set a school record for a season opener at home. In Disch-Falk's 49 years, there have been only seven games with a bigger attendance, and if you toss out the two exhibitions the Longhorns played against the Texas Rangers in 1977 and 1991, it was Disch-Falk's sixth-best crowd ever.

Some of those fans had a unique view. For the first time, UT allowed fans to watch the action from the newly built Yeti Yard.

Ahead of this season, Texas built what is essentially an open-air bullpen outside the wall in left-center field and put up a chain-link fence so fans can see the action from the outfield. There are a few seats available, but the Yeti-sponsored area is mostly a standing-room section.

At this month's Texas athletics town hall, UT athletics director Chris Del Conte credited associate athletics director Drew Martin with coming up with the concept for the Yeti Yard. Del Conte explained that the road behind the stadium makes expanding the stadium difficult, so this was one idea that "creates an incredible environment."

"(We're) looking at if that's another way to improve the game-day experience at baseball, knowing that we have a year to really look at different ways that we can improve Disch-Falk" before Texas moves to the Southeastern Conference, Del Conte said.

The move to the SEC meant changes were needed

Ahhh, yes, the SEC. Last season, Texas averaged 6,730 fans at its home games. That ranked sixth-best nationally. It also would have been sixth-best in the SEC, which has had one of its teams win five of the last six national championships.

Many SEC ballparks have unique spots for fans to watch games. There's the Left Field Lounge at Mississippi State and Arkansas' Hog Pen. Right field is the place to be at Ole Miss games, and LSU parks students in its right-field bleachers. Bubble-blowing Texas A&M fans have lawns to sit on at Olsen Field.

Not that Texas was without its charm and quirky fans. The OccupyLF tailgate is going strong beyond the foul pole in left field, and fans still watch games from atop vehicles parked outside the fence in right. Now add the Yeti Yard to the mix.

"We've been talking about improvements since I've been here as far as fan appreciation, fan experience, and now moving into the SEC kind of puts a little pressure on us to make sure we're up to snuff and ready for that," said UT head coach David Pierce, in his eighth season. "I think you're going to see things continually happen. Potentially more seating in the outfield, potentially more seating down the left-field line on the concourse and maybe even additional suites.

"The SEC is a great baseball league. When you look at football and basketball, it's tremendous, but baseball is right there with them. Great teams, great fan bases, great venues."

Texas took a swing at improving fans' game-day experience

Admission to the Yeti Yard is currently free. Glass, grills, coolers and folding chairs are among the items that fans are prohibited from bringing inside. There are two concession stands. One sells candy, popcorn and hot dogs; the other has water and beer that sells for $5 or $6.50.

The vibe of the Yeti Yard? As Texas fan Kyle Umlang noted on X, "It looks freaking amazing." After shortstop Jalin Flores christened the Yeti Yard by hitting a grand slam into the section during the opener, fans celebrated by showering their fellow spectators with beer. The same thing happened when Rylan Galvan homered into the Yeti Yard during Tuesday's 20-3 win over Houston Christian. Did we mention those beers cost between $5 and $6.50?

"I think it brings just a better atmosphere," Flores said. "Just adding that to our field, it just brings a little bit more wow to it, if that makes sense."

Said sophomore Jared Thomas: "It definitely gives the fans a different look. It should be fun, get the fans a little bit more involved, a little bit feeling like they're more into the game, like being out there with the players."

For Flores' money, the best seats at Disch-Falk are either above the UT dugout or in one of the stadium suites. But he has toured the Yeti Yard and said the view is "pretty great." And since his grand slam was the first baseball hit out there, he also doesn't mind being a part of history.

"A lot of guys talked about it, like who was going to be the first one, so it might as well be me," he said.

This weekend's series

Cal Poly (2-2) at No. 16 Texas (3-1), Friday-Sunday, UFCU Disch-Falk Field, LHN, 1300

Friday (6:30 p.m.) — Texas RHP Lebarron Johnson Jr. (0-0, 3.60) vs. Cal Poly LHP Jakob Wright (1-0, 1.35); Saturday (1:30 p.m.) — Texas RHP Charlie Hurley (0-0, 2.45) vs. Cal Poly RHP Steven Brooks (0-1, 2.57); Sunday (1 p.m.) — Texas RHP Cody Howard (1-0, 0.00) vs. Cal Poly RHP Ryan Baum (0-1, 9.82)

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Longhorns open Yeti Yard before joining SEC baseball scene