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CHICAGO – The UIC baseball team unveiled its 2010 schedule today with a season-opening trip to Cary N.C. for two games apiece against LeMoyne and Canisius to begin another challenging slate for the eight-time defending Horizon League champion Flames.

UIC’s campaign begins a month from now against LeMoyne on Friday, Feb. 19 at

UIC baseball coach Mike Dee

2:00 p.m. in Cary, N.C. The Flames will also face the Dolphins on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 9:00 a.m. In between, UIC will play a doubleheader against Canisius on Saturday, Feb. 20 beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Complete 2010 UIC Schedule

From there the Flames head to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to face the University of Alabama in a three-game series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium from Feb. 26-27. This marks the second consecutive season that UIC will square off against the Crimson Tide on the diamond. The Tide took both contests played by the schools, while two others were washed away by inclement weather.

Two more non-conference series in the early part of the schedule include trips to Bowling Green, Ky. to battle Western Kentucky in a three-game set, March 5-7 and a swing through Waco, Texas the following week to face the Baylor Bears, March 12-14.

After spending the first month of the season on the road, the Flames host Opening Day at Les Miller Field on Friday, Mar. 19 against Creighton at 4:05 p.m. to begin a three-game series against the Bluejays.

UIC will host Concordia on March 23 and travel to Notre Dame to take on the Fighting Irish on March 24 before beginning the Horizon League campaign at home against Milwaukee on Mar. 26. The Flames and Panthers will play a three-game set.

Another big non-conference clash for the Flames takes place from May 7-9 in Atlanta, Ga., as UIC takes on Georgia Tech in a three-game series.

The Flames end the regular season with five straight home games at Les Miller Field. UIC will entertain Cleveland State for a doubleheader on May 16 before welcoming the Valparaiso Crusaders for three on May 20-21.

UIC will seek to clinch a fifth trip to NCAA Regional play in the last eight years at the 2010 Horizon League Baseball Championship in Gary, Ind. beginning on May 25. The Flames have won two of the last three tournament crowns.

Head coach Mike Dee has 17 players from last year’s squad back to anchor the Flames, including returning 2009 All-Horizon League honorees: third baseman Jason Ganek (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey H.S.), catcher Nathan Orf (Wentzville, Mo./Francis Howell H.S.) and pitcher Chris Kovacevich (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East/Coastal Carolina).

(Release)

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Alabama’s Kent Matthes Launches Longballs

Kent Matthes tied for the NCAA lead with 28 home runs in 2009.

In his first three seasons Matthes had respectable college numbers with 20 career home runs, including a .303 average with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs as a junior in 2008.   However, the 6’2 Orlando, FL native saved his best for his last year in a college uniform, and it all started on February 22, 2009.

Matthes had a week to start his senior season that some guys never have in an entire career.  Here’s how it looked:

Sunday, Feb. 22: Matthes goes 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs in an 8-4 loss to Southeast Missouri State.

Tuesday, Feb. 24: Matthes starts a new week by hitting for the cycle in Alabama’s 11-4 win over Nicholls State.  He tripled in the 3rd inning, hit a solo home run in the 5th, led off the 7th with a double, and then capped his big night with an 8th inning RBI single.  It was the fifth single in Alabama history and the first since 2000.  It was also the third cycle in the history of Alabama’s Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

(rolltide.com photo)

Wednesday, Feb. 25: Matthes launches a 10th inning walk-off home run to cap Alabama’s improbable 8-7 comeback win over Nicholls State; the Tide trailed the game 7-0 in the 5th inning.  Matthes drew a walk and later scored in the Tide’s 4-run 5th, and later doubled and scored in the 7th.  Alabama tied the game in the 9th inning, and then Matthes launched a 1-0 pitch off the Sewell-Thomas scoreboard for the first walk-off HR of his career.

Saturday, Feb. 28: Matthes smacks another game-winning home run in game one of a doubleheader vs. Illinois-Chicago.  The 3-run shot in the 6th inning came with Alabama trailing the Flames 2-o.  The Tide would win the game 4-2.   In game 2 of the twin bill Matthes goes yard again en-route to a 2-for-3 game with 3 runs scored and 4 RBIs.  He exits the game in the 5th inning as Alabama wins 20-4.

Sunday, Feb. 29: The scheduled series finale vs. UIC in cancelled due to rain.

The Total Damage: In a seven day span Matthes hits .550 (11-for-20) with 6 home runs, 15 RBIs, 11 runs scored, 2 doubles, a triple, and a 1.650 slugging percentage.  He tied an Alabama record with home runs in five straight games.

For The Season: Matthes ended-up batting .358 with 28 home runs, 81 RBIs, 67 runs, 13 stolen bases, an .858 slg. %, and a .461 on-base percentage.  He 28 long balls tied with Middle Tennessee State’s Bryce Brentz for the NCAA lead.  His slugging percentage ranked 3rd nationally while his RBIs tied for 11th.  His gaudy numbers earned him 2009 SEC Player of the Year honors.

Matthes was drafted in the 4th round of the 2009 MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies.  Not bad for a guy who batted .200 with one home run as a freshman in 2006.

Other Top Moments Of 2009

22.  Freshman Levi Michael Starts In North Carolina’s Season Opener

23.  LSU Opens The New Alex Box Stadium

24.  Oregon Brings Back Baseball