When "Song of the South" by Alabama plays at a Northeastern stadium, it certainly turns some heads.

It's third baseman Mike Deese's walk-up song, and it's the only country tune played through the airwaves at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, other than a rare "Cotton-Eyed Joe."

But to get a full grasp of Deese's head-turning twang, one only has to walk to the parking lot outside of the ballpark.

As fans go to this weekend's two doubleheaders against Purdue this weekend, starting Saturday at 4:05 p.m. at Medlar Field, Deese's van will spend double the time parked and pronounced among the other cars and asphalt.

It's an old Toyota Privia, with a mural of Joe Paterno's face painted on the hood.

"Definitely, riding down the road, people look at us pointing, 'Cool van, cool van.' It's also a chick magnet," Deese said. "That's what we use it for."

The van is a unique touch that only he has the audacity to sport -- for many of the same reasons he chose his walk-up song.

"I had to get some country in there," Deese said.

"I'm from Georgia. Everyone has their pump-up music, rap music, and we had a sign-up sheet for songs, and I didn't see any country, so I had
to get something in there."

The van's paintjob was a gift from his junior college teammates at Young Harris (Ga.) after Deese took a scholarship offer from Penn State. Whitney Shoe, a girlfriend of one of the players at Young Harris, painted the mug of Paterno adorned with the typical black shades.

Deese has had the vehicle since it was an orange Auburn van. Now it is painted blue and white, with "We are" and "Penn St." painted on separate sides.

An arrow comes out of the "t" in "St." and comes around to point to Paterno's face in front.

Pitcher Ryan Stobart, also a junior college transfer, saw Deese's van shortly after arriving at Penn State. He had never experienced crazy football fanaticism until then.

Then, he was dropped off to class in Deese's van, watching heads turn as he stepped out.

"It was a little embarrassing," Stobart said. "He definitely does bring attention to the van, with his little basketball hoop and the squirt guns in the back."

The ride is quaint on the inside. The mini-hoop is taped onto a passenger side window, a "Krystal Lover" sticker is on the driver-side dashboard and other assorted items besides water toys in the back.

As soon as the temperatures warmed up, Deese promised frequent cruising in the van, but catcher Joe Blackburn wasn't buying in until the van was cleaned.

Freshmen already pile into the van for the carpool of a lifetime. And Black-burn, who calls the van "good school spirit," still prefers to keep his distance from his teammate's unique vehicle.

"But I definitely might be in a caravan with it," Blackburn said. "I have my own car, but I don't think it's embarrassing. I like driving behind it, looking at the other cars driving by it. That's more fun to me, seeing the other cars looking back at it."

While the van does turn heads, Stobart didn't quite agree with Deese's "chick magnet" label, saying Deese must be mistaken.

"I don't know where the magnetic thing is on that thing," he said.

"I don't know what else to say," Stobart added. "It's weird ... Southern guys."