OXFORD, Miss. -- Thirty-four years after and some 550 miles south of his Haddonfield, Ill., beginnings, one of America's most notorious miscreants has taken a liking to the national pastime.

Michael Myers - as in the villain in the Halloween movie franchise -- stood and stared down on Ole Miss' Swayze Field from the left-field terraces, and a handful of kids padded in front of the masked figure, asking questions, pestering in the hope of gaining his attention and pelting him with a fleece jacket.

Meanwhile, Myers remained still, taking the blows without acknowledgment and gazing at the pitcher's mound 350 feet away.

On that mound was Mike Mayers (pronounced Myers), who struck out UNC-Wilmington's Matt Campbell to end the second inning and preserve Ole Miss' early 4-0 lead this past Sunday.

As Campbell's fate was sealed, the masked one pumped his fist in celebration and moved away from the children in front of him. He sat down in his lawn chair, grabbed his beverage concealed in a plastic cup and continued the socializing part of his sunny afternoon.

When the Rebels are at bat or the bullpen has been called, the man behind the mask is 25-year-old Matt Lowry, an Ole Miss super fan that has put a significant stamp on one of college baseball's best atmospheres.

In a ritual that began last season, Lowry celebrates the phonic connection between Mayers, a sophomore right-hander, who warms up to the Halloween theme song blaring over the public-address system at Oxford-University Stadium and one the horror genre's best-known antagonists.

As soon as Mayers heads toward the mound, Lowry puts on his mask, moves to the edge of the terrace and stands motionless while Mayers works through the opposing batting order. When the half-inning is complete, he'll keep the mask on but stop the stalking - until Mayers trots back out for the next frame, that is.

"It's been a really cool thing, and I had no idea if it would catch on or not," Lowry said. "People seem to love it, and I'll always be out there. I'll do anything I can to help an already great environment. It's awesome.

"When I'm out there, all the kids gather around, and that's sometimes tough to stand still with all of them, but my buddies are all about it. My girlfriend was ashamed then, but now she cracks up."

Mayers laughed when approached about his personal mascot. His walkout music was chosen by teammates - mainly closer Brett Huber -- prior to the 2011 season, but he's grown to love the instrumental tune synonymous with the movie franchise.

The two gentlemen have never met, but Mayers' mother, Jayne, did approach Lowry after Ole Miss defeated eventual national champion South Carolina, 10-2, last season. Mayers closed out the contest with a perfect ninth inning, and Lowry stayed posed while the team gathered in left field for its postgame meeting. Mayers tipped his cap at Lowry, and Jayne Mayers went out to meet the anonymous fan.

"We had just whooped Carolina pretty good, and I was emptying my ice chest, and this lady walked up. She said, 'Excuse me,' and I said, 'Yes ma'am.' She introduced herself as Mike's mom, and we shook hands. It was a neat moment."

Mike Mayers said: "It's really funny. People are always asking me who my friend is out there. I obviously didn't give the guy a mask. It's not something I carry around, but I like it."

HOW IT ALL STARTED: Lowry wasn't really looking for a game-day gimmick, but the idea came quickly and progressed even faster.

Oxford Eagle assistant sports editor Patrick Ochs put video clips of all Ole Miss players' walkout music on his blog around the beginning of last season. Lowry was looking at the list with his friend, Patrick Shappley, and they joked about getting a mask.

"I didn't tell him I was going to buy it, but I went online and found one that's a movie-quality mask," Lowry said. "I dropped about 70 bucks on it. He came in town for the Alabama series, and I was sitting on the couch wearing it."

Lowry wore the mask for the first time on March 19 against Alabama, but it didn't gain the full attention of the fan base until the Rebels' Saturday loss to Georgia on April 9, 2011.

The cameras found him and put Lowry's picture on the video board at Swayze Field, revealing the white face and wavy hair for all 8,833 in attendance to see.

"The players were laughing and pointing and stuff," Lowry said. "I think they enjoy it."

"We have the best fans in college baseball, especially the students and people in the outfield," head coach Mike Bianco said. "We appreciate all of them."

Ole Miss finished second nationally in average attendance in 2011 - one of only two programs (along with LSU) to average more than 8,000 fans per game in paid attendance.

NEW YEAR, NEW CHALLENGES: Lowry's shtick was simple last season. Mayers was a freshman reliever who had short outings, so the time with the mask on was brief.

But this year, the sophomore has progressed into the Rebels' starting rotation. He throws each Sunday, and barring trouble, Mayers will be on the mound for more than half the game.

"I'm pumped for him," Lowry said. "He had a good offseason, and even as a freshman, he was a force out there."

Sure, the mask could possibly get hot, and long innings could cause Lowry's legs to get tired, but those are just parts of the process, hazards to be expected. It's a design flaw with the mask that has created some concern.

"It's not that hot, and the material reflects light, so I'm good with all that," Lowry said. "But of course the mouth doesn't open, so I can't drink through it. It's a long time without being able to take a drink."

So this is where the dilemma requires rigorous thought.

"I'm not sure what I'll do as the season goes on," Lowry said. "I can get out of character and pull it up and take a swig really quick, or I might get a long straw and put it under the mask. I haven't decided yet."

This past weekend, Lowry went the route of discreetly ducking his cup under the mask, but while that small obstacle is a work in progress, his presence has piqued Ole Miss' interest. During Sunday's game, a university employee asked about the possibility of Lowry moving around the stadium each week in an attempt to add to the novelty of the character.

He's undecided about that offer, but he's happy he went through with the scheme. At a stadium known for its exceptional support and raucous outfield environment, Lowry's alter-ego fits right in.

"I'm the one that started it, but I'd love to look out to the right-field student section and see 30 of them," Lowry said. "You can't ever have enough Michael Myers in the outfield."