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Another Potentially Historic Streak In The Making…

NASHVILLE – Ronnie Freeman broke the Kennesaw State baseball all-time hit streak mark as he had a hit in his 42nd consecutive game, but the Owls lost a sixth-inning lead as No. 2-ranked Vanderbilt rallied for a, 9-5, victory at Hawkins Field on Wednesday evening.

Photo courtesy Kennesaw State

The big news of the night was Freeman and his fourth inning single to center field that broke the 12-year old record set by former KSU All-American and NCAA Division II Player of the Year, Jason Jones. The Owls sophomore, who had walked in the first inning and was hit by a pitch in the second, now has the 12th longest streak in NCAA history and the fifth longest streak in Division I history.

“This is a great honor for Ronnie,” boasted head coach Mike Sansing on Freeman’s accomplishment. “There have been a lot of great players that have come through our program and Ronnie is without question is one of them. To surpass such a milestone so early in his career is unbelievable.”

Kennesaw State is the only program in the history of the NCAA, Division I, II or III to boast two players with hitting streaks of longer than 40 games. Freeman now has the longest NCAA Division I hitting streak in the state of Georgia. Sam Barth of Augusta State (Division II) has the longest NCAA hitting streak in the state at 47 games.

Florida International junior Garrett Wittels‘ carried a 56-game hitting streak into 2011, but it ended in FIU’s season-opening loss to Southeastern Louisiana. Former MLB and Oklahoma State star Robin Ventura holds the Division One record with hits in 58 straight games in 1988.

Although the Owls jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Owls found themselves trailing the No. 2-ranked Commodores, 4-1, after three innings. But, Sean McClurken walked with one out in the fourth inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Freeman’s record-breaking hit, a line drive single to center field to bring the Owls to within two runs.

McClurken had his best game of the season with three hits and reached base four times as he has embraced his role as the Owls leadoff hitter to the tune of a .381 average in the last six games.

The Owls tied the game in the top of the fifth inning when Will Howard skied a two-run home run over the right field fence for his second home run of the season. The following inning saw the Black and Gold turn a potential big inning into narrow one-run lead.

Freeman led off the inning with a hit and Andy Chriscaden followed with his second double of the game to put runners on second and third with nobody out. With Peyton Hart up, Freeman was picked off third before Hart singled to center field.

Drew Fowlkes, who did not start for the first time this season, gave the Owls a 5-4 lead with a pinch-hit single to right field, but that was all the runs Kennesaw State would score as Vanderbilt’s Mark Lamm struck out Howard and Bucky Smith to strand runners at second and third.

“I thought the first half of the game we matched up pretty well,” added Sansing. “But we left too many runners on base in crucial situations. If we can push a couple of those runners across that would have made an impact.”

Sean Fream (0-1), who settled down after a rough start, cruised through the fourth and fifth innings and retired the first two batters of the sixth inning before surrendering an infield single to Riley Reynolds and walking Curt Casali and Tony Kemp to load the bases.

Freshman Drew Duncan relieved Fream and walked Mike Yastrzemski on five pitches to tie the game and then gave up a two-run single up the middle to Anthony Gomez that put the Commodores ahead. Vanderbilt would add two more runs in the bottom of the seventh.

“Again too many walks,” commented Sansing. “We’re giving too many free bases and we aren’t making people earn runs. Instead of forcing a team to group together hits all they need to get is one [hit] that does the damage.”

The Owls open up a three-game series against Belmont on Friday afternoon at 5:00 ET in Nashville. The series will continue with single games on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET.

(Courtesy Kennesaw State)

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A Look At Teams Trending In Different Directions

Non-Conference Games Vs. ECU And NC State Highlight Slate

Campbell Head Coach Greg Goff

these teams having won a combined 516 contests during the 2009 season.

Complete 2010 Campbell Schedule (PDF)

“We have put together another demanding, but exciting schedule for the 2010 season highlighted with in-state opponents NC State, East Carolina, and UNC-Wilmington,” head coach Greg Goff said. “Our goal with this schedule was to build on the momentum of our record-setting home attendance from last season, and being able to have 33 home games was definitely a bonus. This allows our fans a good opportunity to come out and have a great time watching our team compete against some first-rate opponents.”

Asheville and NC State highlight first week

Campbell opens the 2010 slate at home against UNC Asheville with a single contest on February 19th followed by a doubleheader on February 20th. The Bulldogs, under new head coach Tom Smith, are looking to be provide a tough challenge for the first weekend of the season. After the home weekend against UNC Asheville, the Fighting Camels hit the road for the short trip to Raleigh to face off against in-state ACC foe, North Carolina State.

Last season Campbell swept the home and home two-game series with the Wolfpack, marking the first time in school history they were able to accomplish that feat.  The Fighting Camels will finish the month of February with a home and home matchup against North Carolina A&T. The first contest will take place in Greensboro on February 26th and the doubleheader at Taylor Field to follow on the 27th.

Nine game home stretch kicks off March for Fighting Camels

The month of March starts off with a two-week home stand for Coach Goff’s squad, as they square off against Xavier University, UNC Wilmington, Savannah State, and LaSalle University. Campbell will start off the month facing the defending Atlantic 10 champion and 2009 NCAA Regional participant Xavier University on March 2, followed by a contest against in-state rival and 2008 NCAA Regional Participant UNC Wilmington on the 3rd.

The Fighting Camels will be renewing one of their long standing rivalries with the Seahawks, having split their last home and home series in 2008, with UNC Wilmington taking the contest at Taylor Field 6-4, and Campbell knocking off the #22-ranked Seahawks 8-6 in Wilmington.

The 9-game home stand will conclude with a three-game weekend series against Savannah State, and a mid-week clash with the LaSalle Explorers on March 9 and 10.  Campbell has won 3 of the last 4 games against these two teams, including a two game sweep of Savannah State last year, and a two game split against the Explorers in 2006.

Mercer to start off 2010 Atlantic Sun slate

Campbell will head on the road to Macon, Ga. for the first conference series of the young 2010 season against the Mercer Bears. Last year the series against Mercer was cancelled due to four days set of heavy rain in Buies Creek. In 2008, Campbell also opened conference play with the Bears, winning game one and then dropping the following two.  But, the Fighting Camels got even that year by eliminating Mercer from the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament with an 11-3 victory in Deland.

The series between the Fighting Camels and Mercer has always been competitive as the series split is 27-26 in favor of Campbell. The Bears finished the 2009 slate with a 23-23 record and will be bringing back a load of talent from that squad and promises to be a frontrunner in the Atlantic Sun.

Following the trip to Macon, Campbell will return to the friendly confines of Taylor Field to face off against Maryland-Eastern Shore in a two game set starting on March 16th.  The last time these two teams faced off against each other was in 2000 and Campbell holds a 3-0 series lead over the Eagles.

Campbell will then face its second Atlantic Sun opponent in Kennesaw State starting on March 19th. Last season the two split the conference series 1-1 as the third game was cancelled due to inclement weather. The Owls hold the series lead 3-6 over the Fighting Camels.

Campbell will conclude a 7-game home stand with North Carolina State coming to Buies Creek on March 23rd. They will then conclude the month of March with a three-game conference series against the Ospreys of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, and return home to play Norfolk State on March 30, with Campbell returning the trip to Norfolk on May 11th.

April Presents Good Challenges for the Fighting Camels

Campbell will back to Florida over the first weekend of April, this time to Deland to face off against Atlantic Sun traditional power Stetson University. The Hatters have made regional appearances in 4 of the last 8 years, and will be an ASUN favorite once again in 2010. The Camels will then head down to Wilmington, N.C. for the completion of the home and home series with the Seahawks.

Taylor Field will play host to two of the last three weekends in April as the Camels will host the two-time  defending Atlantic Sun regular season champs Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, on April 9 and 10, and the East Tennessee State on April 23 and 24.  Campbell will hit the road to Spartanburg, SC to face Atlantic Sun foe USC Upstate on April 16 and 17.

April will also feature the annual two-game home and home series with 2009 NCAA Super Regional participant East Carolina Pirates.  On April 13 the Fighting Camels will travel to Greenville where they were victorious last season 12-8 against the # 17 ranked Pirates.  ECU will return the trip the next week, April 20, for a rematch of a thrilling 10-9 ECU victory at Taylor Field in 2009.

Camels Hit the Stretch Run in May

The Fighting Camels will begin May by playing a weekend series against in-state foe North Carolina Central University with the Friday game (April 30th) being played at Taylor Field and the following two being played in Durham at the legendary Durham Athletic Park on May 1. The DAP was showcased during the filming of the iconic baseball film Bull Durham, and now serves as the home field for the NCCU Eagles.

The non-conference slate for May will feature 4 games against Longwood University, beginning with a home weekend series on May 7-8, and a trip to Farmville, Va. on May 18th.

The conference schedule will feature the traditional May opponents for Campbell as they visit Nashville for a showdown with the Bruins from Belmont University on May 14 and 15, and host the Bisons from Lipscomb University on the final weekend of the regular season, May 20 and 21.  In 2009, the Fighting Camels went 3-3 against these respective conference opponents, taking 2 or 3 from the Bruins at Taylor Field, and dropping 2 of 3 to the Bisons in Nashville.

The Atlantic Sun Championship will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, May 26-29, 2010. The top six seeds will advance to the conference tournament out of a possible ten teams, with the winner of the tournament earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament.

(Release)

Game At LSU Highlights Bearcat’s Slate

BU Head Coach Tim Sinicki (Binghamton Photo)

Other schedule highlights include a pair of games at SEC member Tennessee as part of the Volunteers’ tournament on March 5-7. Binghamton will also face Atlantic Sun runnerup Kennesaw State (30-22) in the tournament and play three games at Sun Belt member Louisiana-Monroe, which won 32 games in 2009.

Complete 2010 Binghamton Schedule

The team will also continue traditional games against in-state opponents Cornell (April 6 and 28), Siena (April 13) and Marist (April 20). The Red Foxes won 31 games and finished third in the MAAC last spring.

In all BU has a 51-game schedule – 27 non-conference games and 24 America East games. The Bearcats play their first 22 games on the road before hosting conference rival Stony Brook in a three-game set April 10-11 at Varsity Field.

The conference schedule is a new six-team format with two divisions. Binghamton will play a pair of three-game series’ against divisional mates Stony Brook and UMBC and play one four-game series against each of the other three teams (Hartford, Albany and Maine). The four teams with the best overall win percentage (in either division) will advance to the America East Championship, played May 26-28 at the highest seed.

“”I am very excited with the 2010 schedule we’ve assembled,” Sinicki said. “It has a great blend of traditional foes and new opponents. We’ve really tried to challege our guys with quality non-conference games both prior to and during the always-difficult America East Conference portion of the schedule.”

The Bearcats have won three straight America East regular season crowns and are the reigning conference champions. Last spring, BU went 30-22 to win the program’s first-ever conference title. In its first NCAA appearance, BU knocked out nationally-ranked George Mason and averaged nine runs in three NCAA games. The Bearcats became just the third America East team in 14 years to win an NCAA game. Under Sinicki, the America East Coach of the Year in three of the last five seasons, BU has increased its win total for an NCAA-record six consecutive seasons.

(Release)

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Dec. 7, 2009) – Road trips to Charleston, S.C. and Eugene, Ore., in addition to 30 home contests are all on tap for the 2010 ETSU baseball team, as head coach Tony Skole and his staff released their schedule Monday afternoon.

ETSU Head Coach Tony Skole

throughout the season.

Complete 2010 ETSU Schedule (PDF)

“We have a great schedule this season,” Skole added.  We will be challenged early, there is no doubt about that, but we saw our schedule as an opportunity to help us get better early.  The first part of our non-conference schedule will help us to get ready to open the Atlantic Sun season.  I anticipate the Atlantic Sun Conference to once again be one of the top Division I baseball conferences in the country.”

ETSU opens the season on Feb. 19 against The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. The Buccaneers will also face Kansas State (Feb. 20) and Delaware (Feb. 21) to close out the opening weekend.

The team will close out its non-conference schedule as the Bucs make their first ever west coast trip on May 14-16 to Eugene, Ore.  ETSU will face a reestablished Oregon program coached by George Horton, who led Cal State Fullerton to a national title in 2004.

St. Peter’s comes to town on Feb. 26-28 for the ETSU home opener as the Bucs will play 18 home non-conference games. Other notable non-conference home games include a weekend series against St. John’s (March 5-7) and games against Virginia Tech (March 31), Appalachian State (April 21) and Tennessee Tech (April 28).

“We are excited to have 30 home games so that our fans will be able to watch as many Buccaneer games as possible,” Skole said.

The Bucs face a tough conference schedule in 2010 as they will face Lipscomb (March 26-27), Jacksonville (April 9-10), Campbell (April 23-24), Florida Gulf Coast (May 8-9) and Kennesaw State (May 20-21) on the road.

ETSU opens Atlantic Sun play at home against USC Upstate on March 19-20. North Florida (April 2-3), Mercer (April 16-17) and Stetson (April 30-May 1) also come to Cardinal Park in 2010.

(Release)

HARRISONBURG, Va., Nov. 3, 2009 – A four-team tournament in Myrtle Beach, an extended trip to Florida, a home-and-away series with Virginia, 12 games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams, and home night games for the first time in program history highlight the 2010 James Madison baseball schedule released Tuesday.

JMU Head Coach Spanky McFarland

his 13^th season with the Dukes.  “It’s a little harder because I feel we have an experienced team that should be able to handle it.  Any time you have a lot of experience, you want to play as good a schedule as you can.  The thinking is to try to give the team more than one way to get into the NCAA tournament.  We want to get the RPI high enough that we can get an at-large bid into the tournament if we don’t win the CAA.”

Complete 2010 James Madison Schedule

Overall the schedule features eight games against top 50 teams in the 2009 RPI and 17 against the top 100.  Additionally, the Diamond Dukes will play 12 games against teams that qualified for the 2009 NCAA field of 64, including games against College World Series qualifier Virginia in Charlottesville on March 2 and at home on March 17.  The home contest against the Cavaliers will be one of the marquee games for JMU’s first season in Veterans Memorial Stadium and the first home night game in program history.

One of the key early weekends on the schedule will be the Baseball at the Beach event hosted by Coastal Carolina at BB&T Coastal Field, home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Class A Carolina League in Minor League Baseball.  The weekend will have the feel of a four-team NCAA Regional as JMU will be joined by Coastal Carolina (Feb. 26), UC Irvine (Feb. 28), and North Carolina State (Feb. 27).  The Anteaters spent much of the 2009 season ranked first in the nation and, along with CCU, finished in the top 30 of the final RPI.

McFarland commented on the weekend in Myrtle Beach, “We tried to put ourselves in a regional atmosphere so that if we do make it, we’ll have the experience of playing at some tough places against good teams.  It should be a good test early in the season.”

The new stadium will officially open the first weekend of the season when JMU hosts Marist College in a three-game set Feb. 19-21.  The Red Foxes reached the NCAA Tournament as champions of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.  Other games against NCAA teams include May 18 at East Carolina, May 12 at Monmouth, and March 26-28 at George Mason.

The week after Baseball at the Beach, JMU will travel to Jacksonville, Fla. for eight games in a span of 10 days.  The trip includes three games against host North Florida (March 5, 11, 13) along with two games against Illinois State (March 12 & 14), and single games against Alcorn State (March 6) and Stetson (March 9 at Stetson).

The Florida trip will also feature an exhibition game against the Japanese Collegiate All-Stars on March 7.  McFarland stated, “I think that’s one of those once-in–a-lifetime experiences that transcends everything.  It’s an opportunity to meet other people and see how the sport is played in a different country.  It will be a good cultural experience for the guys.   And they are a very good team so it will be another good test.”

The Colonial Athletic Association portion of the 2010 schedule features eight three-game series in the traditional Friday, Saturday, and Sunday format and will culminate in the four-team CAA Championship May 27-29 at UNC Wilmington’s Brooks Field.  JMU will play home series against Towson (March 19-21), William and Mary (April 9-11), UNCW (April 16-18), and Delaware (April 30-May 2).  Road series include George Mason (March 26-28), Old Dominion on Easter Weekend (April 2-4), Hofstra (May 14-16), and VCU (May 21-23).

In addition to Virginia, the Dukes will play home-and-away series against Radford, Longwood, Liberty, Maryland, and VMI.  They will also have a three-game trip to Kennesaw State in Georgia April 24-25.

July Photo of Construction On JMU's Veterans Stadium

JMU’s new stadium, Veterans Memorial Stadium, is nearly completed construction and will be available when the team begins practice in early February.  The facility features a synthetic turf playing surface throughout (including the infield dirt area) with seating for 1,200 and lights.  The complex also includes renovations to JMU’s Memorial Hall with new locker rooms, offices for coaches, team meeting rooms, indoor batting cages, sports medicine, and strength training facilities.  The indoor areas will be occupied during JMU’s winter break.

The schedule at the new stadium includes a total of 11 night games with first pitch at 6:30 p.m. at all games with the exception of Sundays beginning March 19 through the remainder of the season.  JMU, which has traditionally played only a handful of night games in a season, will play nearly 20 night contests home and away in 2010.

McFarland added, “I’m excited about the night games.  When we return from Florida we’ll start immediately.  I think that will be fun.  We’re going with 6:30 games so kids can come to games and still get home at a decent time.  It’s also late enough that it’s after work and dinner so hopefully people can get there.”

JMU returns an experienced roster in 2010 with 23 of 29 letterwinners back from last year’s 30-24 squad.  The Dukes return starters at all eight field positions and players who accounted for 1,655 of the team’s 1,960 total at bats.  On the mound, JMU returns nine pitchers who threw at least 25 innings last year and players who accounted for 413 2/3 of the team’s 474 total innings pitched.  In addition, the Dukes return a starting catcher who missed all but 10 games in 2009 due to injury and a pair of probable starting pitchers who sat out the entire season due to an injury and a transfer redshirt.

NOTE: The Veterans Memorial monument at the entrance to the new baseball/softball complex will be dedicated this Sunday, Nov. 8, as part of Veterans Day celebrations in the city of Harrisonburg.  A parade downtown will begin at 2 p.m. with the monument dedication at 3:15 p.m. in the softball stadium at the new complex.  Members of the JMU baseball and softball programs along with the Marching Royal Dukes will be in attendance as part of the ceremony.

(Press Release)