When people think of baseball, they often think of peanuts, the seventh-inning stretch and rally caps. But what about walk-up music? Baseball is more than just boys and bats; it’s about the background beats that give fans a sense of a player’s individual biography. Walk-up songs, which are a reserved right of the home team, play an instrumental role in getting Oregon baseball players in their home run rhythm.
“I found that sticking to my Latino roots and choosing a song that showcases my background gets me in a comfort zone and gives me poise at the plate,” Carter Garate, Oregon’s sophomore shortstop, said.
Garate, whose batting average is 0.353, queues up “Monaco” by Bad Bunny on Friday and keeps the Spanish music playing through Saturday when he walks up to “Por Mi Mexico” by Lefty SM featuring Santa Fe Klan. The latter “is a bit more personal than the others,” Garate said, because it was introduced to him by a family member this past winter break in Mexico.
This season, the crowd in PK Park can hear everything from reggaeton to hip-hop to country and more. Each Duck player gets to determine three songs to add to the team’s spring playlist: one for Friday, one for Saturday and one for Sunday.
While Garate likes listening to lyrics that connect to his home and heritage, catcher Anson Aroz prefers songs with strong beat drops and instrumentals.
On a Friday, the country-loving Californian comes up to bat with Chris Stapleton’s “Midnight Train to Memphis.” He then vibes out to the rhythm of “Rub a Dub Mood” by O.B.F. featuring Sr. Wilson on Saturday. On Sunday, he nods his head to the sounds of BigXthaPlug’s “Rock & Roll.”
“I’m really picky about choosing songs,” Aroz said. “It’s a long process of constantly listening to music and liking certain tracks on Spotify. Basically, I don’t decide until the due date.”
The pressure is on to choose wisely, as players are permitted to switch up only one song during the season.
For some Oregon players, choosing a song is a family affair. Oregon’s outfielder and designated hitter Jeffery Heard said his mom selected most of his songs. Clearly, mom knows best, as Heard, a junior transfer from Sacramento State, is leading the Ducks in batting average (.420), doubles (7) and slugging percentage (.720). He has tallied multiple hits in eight of Oregon’s 13 games. Similarly, Mason Neville, a sophomore outfielder, sent some song options to his brother and used the ones he approved.
While many players appeal to the crowd through pop culture tunes, like outfielder Bryce Boettcher’s song “Boombastic” by Shaggy, other players do not conform to the audience’s interests and instead play music that helps them focus.
Justin Cassella, a senior outfielder for the Ducks, said, “Although I want to pick some crowd favorites, it doesn’t really work with my vibe. I need to stay calm at the plate.”
It comes down to whatever works for the player and helps ease the nerves.
For junior Jacob Walsh, the songs that set him straight at the plate are “Turn on the Lights” by Future, “Money Trees” by Kendrick Lamar featuring Jay Rock and “Let It Rock” by Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne.
He said the first has a “great bass,” the second, “is just an all-time classic song” and the third gets him “in the right mood to hit the ball hard.” Walsh is fourth all-time at Oregon in home runs and needs just six more to set a new school career home run record. Following the Lafayette series, the first baseman secured a spot within the top 10 in doubles and moved into the top 10 in RBI against Grand Canyon University.
Throughout the season and even after it ends, fans and players begin to associate specific songs with certain players.
Bennett Thompson is doing a Colter Wall song for the second year in a row, and according to Aroz, “that’s become his song now.” In the past, Aroz also said Tanner Smith doing a Dua Lipa song was “memorable,” and Anthony Hall’s picks “were always good; the list goes on.” Soon, newcomers to the team and stadium may say the same about the redshirt sophomore’s song selections.
The Ducks determine their tracks for various reasons, whether it’s to display their identity, personality or interests. The music is a way for players to showcase their style, pump up the crowd and, primarily, get themselves in the right mindset for their at-bat.
Walk-up songs serve as just a prelude; the crack of the bat and the silence of the ball soaring through the sky is the actual music to everyone’s ears.
