Rick Bawiec is a flag waver at heart, but when Arkansas clinched the outright SEC baseball championship last weekend, there wasn’t a flag handy.
As Charlie Welch worked the count against Florida reliever Jack Leftwich, Bawiec came up with an idea to wave something else.
Sitting behind home plate in the front row at Baum-Walker Stadium in constant view of the TV camera positioned in the outfield, there was a quick question to his wife.
“Dee, if we win, can I take my shirt off?” Bawiec said. “Dee said, ‘Go for it.’”
One pitch later Welch scorched a slider deep to right-center field just short of the warning track.
Off came Bawiec’s shirt. He flung it around in a wide arc as his wife and everyone else leaned out of the way.
“I rolled over in bed the other night and told Dee, ‘Thank you for staying married to me,’ and I meant it because I can do some crazy stuff,” he said.
It’s in plain sight for everyone to see. Usually, Bawiec and Dee sit in the front row of the Hog Pen. He bought two 6 foot by 6 foot squares before the season when covid-19 regulations allowed reserved seating in the Hog Pen for the first time.
The Florida series was the first time to go back to the old rules in the Hog Pen, the area behind the left-field fence that is first come, first serve.
“I was not going to be able to wait in line because of work for the Thursday and Friday of the Florida series, so I just went online to see what I could find in the grandstand,” Baweic said. “I was able to get those two front-row seats.
“First, I was surprised they were open and that was good. But I also kind of knew that I might could be on TV. I didn’t know I’d be on TV for every pitch.”
In fact, that was the case. The flag waving caught the attention of the SEC Network studio crew. It was replayed several times Friday night.
“I’m on TV a lot for waving the flag in the Hog Pen,” Bawiec said. “It’s pretty incredible to see my phone light up as soon as I’m on. I got 15 texts instantly (for waving the shirt).”
I’ve known Bawiec for 25 years, since Steve Bardwell brokered a meeting as the three of us formed the Webhogs, an Internet-based Razorback Club.
It was born from a group who were friends on the early Internet message boards and organized elaborate tailgates. There were as many as 100 members at one point.
It eventually fell apart because Bawiec said it became too much work. Known as Rick B, he served as club president.
“The idea behind the Webhogs Razorback Club was to unite fans from towns that didn’t have a Razorback Club,” Bawiec said. “We met online and it was a great thing for a while. We had some great tailgates, home and on the road for football games.
“But eventually it became too much work. Partly, we had too many chiefs and not enough Indians. I got burned out.”
Bawiec admits that he got burned out because he didn’t delegate well.
“I’d want something done a certain way and thought I was the only one who could do it just so," he said. "I wouldn’t let anyone help me. So it was my fault.”
No one thought any less of Bawiec when it fell apart. He has friends all over Razorback Nation now. And they love seeing him on TV waving his flag.
“We’ve got two in the Hog Pen,” he said. “The one I have is the old Slobber Hog flag, you know the one that the Razorback is a little hairy. Dee has one with Ribby (the Razorback baseball mascot).”
Of course, Bawiec has a a hat of sorts, with artificial red hair sticking up. It seems perfect for his personality. He’s way out there on most nights.
“I love the Hog Pen,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. I would think most believe I’m on the front row to be on TV, but it’s really about the only place you can see well.
“There are parts of the Hog Pen you aren’t going to see the game. You are just out there socializing, hanging out.”
To get that front row, he’ll camp out for a couple of days in advance.
“I’m going to camp if necessary for the (NCAA) tournament,” he said. “How you do it? You start driving by on Thursday morning until a line starts to form, then I’ll grab my lawn chair and my gear.”
The gear mainly consists of a headset. It can get loud at night when the trains go by the stadium.
You might see Bawiec waving his flag at Bogle Park for softball games, too. He’s at every Razorback home event possible.
“We are going to get season tickets for gymnastics next year, too,” he said. “It sure is a lot of fun right now with all of our teams. We are competing for championships everywhere you look. I want to be there for them.”
The only time he missed a baseball game this season was during the Georgia series.
“I was helping with a motorcycle rally in Fort Smith for one game,” he said. “I missed Saturday (a 7-3 Arkansas loss).”
He’s on TV often. Recently, the cameras followed his dance moves as the stadium speakers blared Bon Jovi.
“I was rocking it out and my phone blew up,” he said. “I just can’t help myself sometimes.”
Help is something Bawiec does well in his professional life as a medical physicist. He works at a Rogers cancer center. He pinpoints radiation treatment.
Rick and Dee live in Barling, but they also have a bedroom in Fayetteville. Garrett, their son, is a UA student and shares his two-bedroom apartment.
“He’s close to campus and his other bedroom is ours,” Bawiec said. “I’m taking off on the Friday for the regional for sure and I’ll hang out in Fayetteville.”
That will be in the Hog Pen where Bawiec helps the Landmark ushers as they try to control what can be a rowdy bunch.
“There are rules,” he said. “There is etiquette to waving flags. Never while play is going on. Stay seated except to cheer a run or a big play. There is not much slope (to the Hog Pen) so if people stand up during play, no one can see.
“We police ourselves most of the time. You know the etiquette.
“There is fun with the players on the other team and we keep it clean. Profanity is not cool. If someone goes over the line, it gets stopped.
“Some players on the other team really enjoy it. The UALR outfielder had a great time. We asked him if he was wearing stirrups or they were painted on. He reached down and showed us."
The key, Bawiec said, is to not get personal.
“If someone digs up family names or girlfriend names, we get that stopped," he said. "Nothing leaves the Hog Pen.
“Yes we are going to rag the left fielder, but we are going to applaud a great catch. You can talk to the left fielder and the ones who nod their heads when you ask something are going to get good treatment.”
It’s been great fun this season. How can it be anything else when the home team has been sitting at No. 1 for most of the past three months?
“We are having a blast,” Bawiec said. “It just keeps getting better. We’ve got a great team and great coaches.”
It’s enough to make you take off your shirt and swing it like a flag. Rick Bawiec knows the feeling.