SEC Baseball Opening Day Do’s and Don’ts

By Chris Marler

Signing day is over, the transfer portal is closed and basketball season does not matter in Baton Rouge. Which means it’s officially opening day for 2026 SEC baseball. To get you ready for the first week of action, here our dues and don’ts of opening day.

Do eat a hotdog

Calories don’t count on opening day. Honestly, calories don’t count anytime you step inside of a sporting event, but that’s just my opinion. Make sure to have a hot dog to kick off the first day baseball. If you want, get wild and have 9, one for every inning. Hell, challenge yourself and try to break Joey Chestnut’s record. Whatever you do though, do not eat a foot-long hot dog. That is an express lane ticket to be becoming a meme.

Do drink a beer

See above for why calories don’t count when you’re inside a stadium. Is it frowned upon to be drunk before 3 PM? Probably. But a brunch beer on a Friday afternoon when it’s 65° never hurt anybody.

Don’t bring a glove

Do not bring a glove unless you are under the age of 12 years old. Honestly, 12 might be too old, but by all means if you’re a child, this world does not apply to you. If you’re an adult, please God, do not bring a glove to the baseball game. Nobody wants to see you fighting for a foul ball with a seven-year-old because you have a 13 inch Rawlings glove that you use for adult men’s softball. There’s a reason you’re batting eighth in that lineup. No one wants to see you work through things you could do in therapy instead of at the actual ballpark.

Don’t start the wave

I relax on my stand on the wave now that I’ve gotten older. It’s fine to be a part of the wave if you want. It’s fine to not be a part of the wave if you don’t want, but by all means, do not be the person that starts the wave. Outside of the organist playing walk this way for the 11th time after a batter is walked, there are few things more annoying than the person standing up screaming at everyone while the game’s going on trying to start a wave.

And nine times out of 10, it’s probably the same guy who brought a glove to the game.

Do stand for the national anthem

Few things in sports are better than hearing an umpire yell “play ball” for the first pitch of opening day. One of those few things is the first national anthem at the first game of the season.

Stand up, take off your hat, and let’s have a day, y’all.