BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Head coach Don Maines and the Long Island University baseball team announced the schedule for the 2010 season on Tuesday. The Blackbirds are slated to play 56 games during the 2010 campaign, highlighted by an early-season trip to Florida and a four-game series at Atlantic Coast Conference member Virginia Tech.

LIU head coach Don Maines

four games with Virginia Tech starting on March 5.

Complete 2010 Long Island Schedule

From there, Long Island will head to the sunny climes of Winter Haven, Fla., on March 12 for a nine-day, six-game road trip. There, the Blackbirds will take on Central Michigan, Army, Maryland-Baltimore County, North Dakota State, Dartmouth and NJIT. Long Island will return to Brooklyn for its first contest at LIU Field on March 23 when local rival Manhattan visits.

Northeast Conference play opens on March 26 when the Blackbirds visit their Staten Island neighbor Wagner for four games. Following a midweek, non-conference tilt at St. John’s on March 30, Long Island will host its first NEC series beginning on April 1 against Fairleigh Dickinson.

The Blackbirds will also host midweek games at LIU Field against Saint Peter’s (April 7) and Hofstra (May 4). Long Island will visit non-conference foes NYIT (April 13), Rider (April 21 and May 16) and Lafayette (April 28).

This season, Long Island will host NEC series against Sacred Heart, Monmouth and conference newcomer Bryant. The Blackbirds will be on the road against Quinnipiac, Mount St. Mary’s and Central Connecticut State, wrapping up the season in New Britain, Conn., with four games against the Blue Devils beginning on May 21.

The home series against Bryant, beginning on May 7, will be played at KeySpan Park, the Coney Island home of the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones. The Blackbirds will also take on Le Moyne at KeySpan in a doubleheader on May 14.

(Release)