Approximately 50 attendees were kicked out of the Ponce de Leon Garage on Friday, Feb. 27, while trying to watch the UM-UF baseball game.
According to the official Canes Baseball Facebook account, the Friday and Saturday games were sold out as of Monday, Feb. 24.
Of the 3,555 fans in attendance on Saturday, there were a record-breaking 615 students — 200 more students than the previous record, according to Category 5’s Instagram.
Junior Ashton Weissman arrived at Mark Light Field on Friday at 8 p.m., an hour after first pitch, and was turned away at the gates.
“The school basically said they were at capacity,” Weissman said. “But as [my roommate and I] were standing there, we saw probably 100 students leave the game early.”
All fans, including students, who leave Mark Light Field are usually stamped on the back of the hand so they can re-enter the stadium, but, according to Weissman, that did not happen at Friday’s game.
The record-breaking numbers could explain why students were denied re-entry during the game.
Weissman said that students without stamps — meaning they were not allowed re-entry — were exiting the game, leaving seats empty that more people could have filled.
“If students leave without stamps, more student fans should be allowed to take their spot,” he said.
Students do not need to purchase a ticket in order to attend a baseball game, they only need to show their Cane card. In an email sent by the University on Thursday, Feb 26, students were “encouraged to arrive early to secure a spot” since seating was available on a “first-come, first-serve basis.”
After being denied at the gates, Weissman and his roommate turned to the Ponce de Leon Parking Garage, to watch the game since it overlooks the stadium.
Despite thinking that he was allowed to view the game from the parking lot, security told Weissman and about 50 other viewers to leave.
“We just wanted to see the game and support it,” said Weissman.
The idea to watch the game from the parking garage was not his own, and Weissman thought it was common practice for Miami fans when the Light was packed. .
He originally got the idea from a post on the RedCup Miami Instagram account from Feb. 19 that featured photos of Canes fans watching the baseball game from various locations that are not the field, with the text “Miami Fans have some creative ways to view the games.” Multiple photos showcase fans standing on different levels of the Ponce de Leon Garage.
While RedCup Miami is a satire/comedy account that is not directly affiliated with UM, the official Canes Baseball account left a comment: the two hands forming a U emoji (🙌🏼).
“Why would they draw attention to it if they didn’t want people to do it?” Weissman said.
Weissman urges UM to increase the number of students who are given seats inside the stadium, as all baseball games in the past few weeks have sold out quickly.
“They need a system in place where the capacity makes sense for students who want to support them and watch the game,” Weissman said.