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Both The Good & The Bad…

We are roughly at the midway point in the 2011 college baseball season. Probably the biggest conversation coming into the season was the new bat standards and how they would affect the college game.

It’s no surprise that offense has been down, while pitching numbers have been better so far this season. However, nobody predicted James Madison would erupt for 91 runs with those new bats in a four-game sweep of Bucknell to open the season. Jake Lowery and David Herbek have combined to lead not only the Dukes, but also the nation with 14 and 12 home runs, respectively, while also sitting among the nation’s Division One leaders in sever other offensive categories.

Following is a look at some other surprises, both good and bad, to this point in the season.

Pleasant Surprises…

Danny Hultzen is 6-0 with a 1.36 ERA in 2011

Virginia was supposed to be good this year, but Brian O’Connor’s Cavaliers have been flat-out great so far. UVA debuted at #15 in our Preseason Composite National Rankings, but is 29-2 overall and 11-1 in ACC play heading into this weekend’s showdown with Georgia Tech. The Cavs lost just one game in the month of March-their series finale against Florida State. They’ve done anything but mash the ball out of the yard en-route to their 29 victories. Keith Werman has nearly twice as many sac bunts (13) as his team has home runs (7), while they still average 7.3 runs a game with a .300 team batting average. Danny Hultzen (6-0, 1.36 ERA) is second in the nation with 78 strikeouts for a pitching staff that’s so deep that midweek starter Will Roberts, who pitched a perfect game last week, is riding a 21-inning scoreless streak. Virginia has a 1.93 team ERA with 333 strikeouts and just 64 walks this season.

Fresno State was a team that many thought deserved an NCAA bid in 2010, but the Bulldogs (38-25) just missed the field of 64 after Hawaii ended their reign of four straight WAC Tournament titles. Offense wasn’t a problem for Mike Batesole’s squad, but the pitching staff ended the season with a 6.05 ERA. Things have been much different for the 2011 edition of the Bulldogs (20-3). Greg Gonzalez (6-0, 1.36 ERA) fronts a pitching staff that sports a 2.50 ERA. The senior led the staff with 73 strikeouts last year, but he already has 52 Ks with just 9 BB in 46 1/3 IP in 2011. Charlie Robertson has slammed the door at the end of games with 9

Fresno State's Charlie Robertson is among the DI leaders with 9 saves.

saves in 10 appearances. He is yet to surrender an earned run in 16 1/3 IP this year. Like everyone, Fresno State’s offense is still adjusting to the new bats. Most notably Jordan Ribera, who hit .343 and led the nation with 27 home runs last year. He is batting just .244 with one HR and 7 RBIs in 23 starts in ’11. Dusty Robinson has picked-up the slack though, with a .321 BA, 6 HR and 19 RBIs.

Georgia was just 16-37 last year with a dismal 5-23 record in the SEC. Outfielder Zach Cone (.363, 10 HR, 53 RBIs) was practically the entire offense for Dave Perno’s Bulldogs, while the pitching staff had a bloated 8.51 ERA with no complete games. The Bulldogs (15-14, 6-3) are one win from matching last year’s overall win total, while a series win over LSU and a sweep of Mississippi State has already exceeded last year’s conference win total. Georgia also boasts wins over UCLA, Florida State and South Carolina. There’s still work to be done, but where UGA is now is a far cry from a season that started by being swept in a 3-game series at Stetson.

Cal State Bakersfield is well on its way to eclipsing last year’s win total. The Roadrunners are off and running to a 20-7 start after finishing with a 26-30 record in 2010. Bill Kernan’s squad hasn’t shied away from tough competition either. The DI independent has wins over top 10 opponents Arizona State and defending national champion South Carolina along with series wins over Washington and Ohio State. Ryan McIntyre (.363, 10

Tommy Hoenshell has helped spearhead Bakersfield's pitching staff.

doubles, 4 triples, .966 OPS) leads an offense that has five regulars hitting above .300, but it’s pitching that’s really fueled Bakersfield so far. Tommy Hoenshell (5-3, 1.97 ERA) has two complete games and leads the nation with 64.0 IP, Jonathon Montoya (5-1, 3.06 ERA) is tied for the DI lead with four complete games and closer Martin Medina (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 5 saves) has 19 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings to date.

Cal may or may not be reinstated beyond this season, but the Golden Bears are doing everything they can to make 2011 memorable. Dave Esquer has his team off to a 19-7 record, including 5-1 in the Pac-10, in what could be the program’s swan song. The pitching was expected to be good in 2011, but so far it’s been flat-out great. Justin Jones and Erik Johnson are each 4-1 with respective 2.47 and 2.08 ERAs, while Kevin Miller (3-2, 0.63 ERA, 1 save) has been nearly lights-out in a swing role. The senior has made three relief appearances and five starts, with a team-high 53 strikeouts and just 7 BB in 43.0 IP. Cal has a balanced offensive attack. Six regulars are batting between .317 and Austin Booker’s team-best .346, while eight players have accounted for the team’s 12 home runs.

Central Florida’s sites have been set on Omaha since Terry Rooney left his job as an LSU assistant to take over in Orlando. Now in his third year, Rooney has a team that’s starting to make some noise. The Knights (20-9) opened Conference USA with the program’s first ever series win over Rice only to be swept last weekend by Southern Mississippi.  However, UCF responded by toppling Florida 4-3 Tuesday night in Gainesville. D.J. Hicks (.347, 6 HR,

UCF's D.J. Hicks is among the top overall Conference USA hitters this season.

1.008 OPS) leads an offense that has seven starters batting above .300. Freshman Ben Lively (5-0, 1.88 ERA) has been UCF’s top weekend starter, while relievers Nick Cicio (1.08 ERA) and Joe Rogers (2.04 ERA) have each made 11 appearances out of the Knight’s bullpen, combining for 8 saves and 42 Ks with 5 BB in 44.0 IP.

Stetson (22-7) is another Florida school that’s exceeded most expectations so far. The Hatters need just five wins to match the win total of last year’s team that finished 27-31. Head coach Pete Dunn’s 32nd edition of the Hatters is also just five wins away from matching its 14 Atlantic Sun Conference win total from 2010. Robert Crews (.378, 3 HR), Nick Rickles (.345, 10 doubles, 3 HR, 28 RBIs) and Mark Jones (.343) have provided the bulk of the offense, while relievers Robbie Powell (4-0, 1.05 ERA) and Jake Boyd (2-0, 2.45 ERA) have combined for 8 saves in 31 appearances. The pitching staff has notched 232 strikeouts with 94 walks so far this season.

Head-scratching Surprises…

Connecticut was the darling of the north heading into the 2011 season. The Huskies brought back most of their line-up and pitching from last year’s team that won a school record 48 games and hosted an NCAA Regional. Most is the key word. UConn struggled to an 8-9-1 start to the new campaign without table setter Pierre LePage (.327, 63 R, 29 SB) and top run producer Mike Olt (.318, 23 HR, 76 RBIs), who were both drafted last June. The Huskies (15-10-1) have won seven of their last eight and look like they are back on the right track after sweeping St. John’s last weekend. Ace pitcher Matt Barnes (5-2, 1.00 ERA, 2 CG) has been as dominant as advertised. After starting the season in the Saturday starting role, he’s now the Friday night man. The UConn staff currently sports a 2.78 ERA, which should go a long way toward curing what ails Jim Penders‘ team now that Big East play is here.

UCLA road its pitching and a scrappy offense to a national runner-up finish in Omaha last year. The Bruins might have to lean on the arms of Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole even more this year. UCLA hit .304 as a team and averaged 6.8 runs a game last year, but those numbers are down to .244 and 4.0 through 24 games this year. John Savage’s Bruins (14-10) weren’t a team built on power to begin with (Dean Espy’s 9 HR led the club last year), but they have just four home runs to date in ’11. Seven different Bruin regulars batted .308 or better last year, but Cody Keefer’s .293 currently leads the team. Bauer (5-1, 1.46 ERA), who leads the nation with 82 Ks, and Cole (3-2, 2.06 ERA, 57 K) and the staff have been overpowering, with a 2.06 staff ERA and 259 strikeouts vs. just 74 walks in 218 2/3 innings this season. But consider this: After a 22-game win streak to start the season, UCLA didn’t lose its first game until April 2 last year. They lost 17 times in 68 games last year, but they have already lost 10 games this season.

San Diego has been to the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons, but the Toreros will have a tough time getting back this year. San Diego (7-19) is off to one of the worst starts in Rich Hill’s 13-year tenure. USD currently sports a .256 team batting average, .325 on-base percentage and 4.82 ERA. The holes in the weekend pitching rotation left by Kyle Blair (8-4, 2.84 ERA) and Sammy Solis (9-2, 3.42 ERA) have been tough to fill on the mound, while the bats of Chris Engall (.416) and James Meador (.391) have left a big offensive void as well. To its credit, San Diego has played a tough schedule, with losses to the likes of Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Cal, Coastal Carolina, and Fresno State.

New Mexico had its best season in nearly 50 years in 2010, but things have been different this year. After earning the program’s first NCAA bid since 1962, the 2011 Lobos are off to a 9-20 start, including eight straight losses to start the campaign. However, Ray Birmingham’s squad returned just one position starter and six pitchers from last year’s team that went 38-22. Birmingham’s teams have always been offensive minded, but it’s hitting a whopping 80 points below last year’s .346 team batting average, while reaching base at a .342 clip (down nearly 70 points). The lack of offense, combined with a 6.05 staff ERA has been a recipe for  misfortune so far. Give Birmingham credit though. He knew what kind of turnover he would be facing this year, but still scheduled the likes of Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Oklahoma. The first of two conference series against TCU is this weekend.

Oregon is off to just a 14-12 start after an NCAA berth in just the second year of existence in the program’s return. The 40-24 record and that postseason appearance brought high expectations and a top 10 ranking coming into 2011. Like UCLA, George Horton’s offense is know for its small ball approach, but the Ducks are waddling to the tune of a dismal .229 team batting average and a .310 slugging percentage. Aaron Jones (.310) and Danny Pulfer (.301) are the only Ducks batting above .300, while K.C. Serna, who hit a team-best .348 in ’10, is struggling at .194 this season. Oregon scored just three runs in last week’s sweep at the hands of Arizona State to open Pac-10 play, making this weekend’s home series against Washington huge.

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A By The Numbers Rundown Of The Latest Action

Brett Bochy

13…Straight wins to open the season by Louisville-the best for the program since a 15-0 mark in 1957-after Friday’s 6-1 win at Ole Miss.

5…Runs scored by Louisville in the top of the 12th inning of that game to pick-up the victory.

17…Combined strikeouts by Rebel pitchers Drew Pomeranz (12 in 6 1/3 IP) and Brett Huber (5 in 4 1/3 IP) in the loss.

7…Walks issued by Louisville starter Thomas Royse in 6 1/3 IP.  Royse had walked just 3 batters in 18 innings in his previous three starts this season.

9…Ks by Mississippi starter Drew Barrett in Saturday’s 8-3 win to hand Louisville its first loss of the season.

2…Wins by Louisville (14-1) in the series after winning 10-8 in Sunday’s series finale in Oxford.  Cardinal head coach Dan McDonnell, a former Ole Miss assistant, was making his first trip back to Oxford since becoming Louisville’s head coach in 2007.

1 & 1…Win and save by Cardinal pitcher Neil Holland in the series.  Holland pitched a total of four innings in his two appearances with 6 strikeouts and a walk while allowing a run on one hit.

8…Combined home runs hit by North Florida and James Madison in UNF’s 22-19 win over the Dukes.

7…RBIs powered by two home runs by Ospreys shortstop Andrew Hannon in the win.

2…Wins by Duke over North Carolina in its 3-game ACC-opening series.  The Blue Devils also took 2 of 3 games from the Tar Heels last year.

8…Runs scored in the 6th inning of Duke’s 15-11 win, which came a day after falling 21-9 in the series-opener.

1/3…Inning pitched by Illinois starter Brian de la Torriente-who gave-up 6 runs on 5 hits in the Illini’s 11-10 over Coastal Carolina.

Casey McMurray (Illinois photo)

5…RBIs by Illinois DH Casey McMurray who doubled and hit his first home run of the season in that game to hand the Chants just their second loss of 2010.

6…Runs scored by Virginia in the top of the 9th inning to rally to beat Florida State 9-8 at Dick Howser Stadium on Saturday.

4…Of the UVA runs that scored with two outs to give the Cavs the first two games of the series and the first series win over the Seminoles in program history.

15…Strikeouts by UCLA’s Gerrit Cole in 7 2/3 innings Friday vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi at the Whataburger Classic.

41 & 4…Strikeouts and walks by Cole (4-0) in 25 2/3 IP so far this year.

15…Strikeouts by Cole’s teammate, Trevor Bauer, in 8 plus innings in Saturday’s 5-2 win over Mississippi State.

13-0…Record by UCLA after Sunday’s win over 5-2 win over Oklahoma in their finale at the Whataburger Classic.

1969…The last time the Bruins had a 13-game winning streak.  The 13-0 start is UCLA’s best of the modern era (dating back to 1955).

10…Straight games Oklahoma had won prior to Sunday’s loss to the Bruins.

Mario Hollands (UCSB photo)

16…Strikeouts in eight innings by Santa Barbara pitcher Mario Hollands in Friday’s 8-1 win over Northern Illinois.  The lefty matched a school record held by Barry Zito (1997) and Walt Rehm (1970).

8…Runs scored by Georgia Tech in the bottom of the 6th inning Saturday to rally for a 15-8 win over Wake Forest.

24…Total runs scored by Rice in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings of Saturday’s 26-11 win over Cal.

12…Of the runs that scored in the 6th inning as the Owls sent 17 batters to the plate in the frame.

7…Times Rice SS Rick Hague reached base in the game to tie a program record.  He was 4-for-4 with two walks with four runs scored and 3 RBIs.

8…RBIs in the game by Owl 3B Anthony Rendon, who homered twice in the victory.

8…Strikeouts in 8 IP by Manhattan’s Tom Costigan in a 13-1 win over West Virginia to help the Jaspers to a Saturday sweep of the Mountaineers.

4 & 3…Strikeouts and walks, respectively, in 8 total IP by Notre Dame’s Brian Dupra in his first two starts against Mississippi Valley State and Ohio State.  The junior surrendered 9 ER as he started the season 0-1 with a 10.12 ERA.

13 & 1…Strikeouts and walks, respectively, in Dupra’s last 14 IP vs. Stetson and Gonzaga to improve to 2-1 and drop his ERA to 4.91.

8…Total errors committed by Pacific in its first 13 games of the season.

5…Errors committed by Pacific in the 7th inning of Saturday’s 10-1 loss to Bradley in San Antonio.  The five miscues led to five unearned runs.

35 & 7…Strikeouts and walks by the Texas pitching staff in a weekend 3-game sweep of Iowa.

17…Strikeouts in 7 2/3 IP by Longhorn starter Taylor Jungmann in Friday’s 2-1 win.  It took a 10th inning walk-off home run by Tant Sheppard to get Texas the victory.

Taylor Jungmann

30-24…The score of Sunday’s Georgia State win over New Mexico State.

12…Combined home runs hit in the game by the Panthers and Aggies.

4…Of the home runs that were grand slams.   Ryan Aguayo hit the lone slam for NM State, while Carl Moniz, Bradley Logan and Joey Wood all had them for Georgia State.  The three slams ties an NCAA team record for a single game, while the four combined slams also ties an NCAA record.

14…RBIs in five games last week by Wood.  The sophomore DH batted .640 with an 1.160 slugging percentage for the Panthers.

10…Strikeouts in 8 innings by Ohio State’s Alex Wimmers (4-0) in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Tennessee.

8…Double digit strikeout performances by Wimmers in his 20 career starts.  He also won for the fourth time on the heels of a Buckeye loss.

5…Home runs last week by Tennessee Tech’s A.J. Kirby-Jones.  The junior is now Tech’s all-time home run leader with 33.  Kirby-Jones hit three of the long balls in Friday’s 9-0 win over Buffalo.

Jabari Henry (FIU photo)

2006…The last time an Indiana pitcher tossed a complete game shutout prior to sophomore Drew Leininger accomplishing the feat in Sunday’s 9-0 win over Central Michigan.

17…RBIs in five games by Florida International OF Jabari Henry, who hit five home runs while hitting .500 (9-18) during the week.

6…Home runs in five games by VMI 1B Jordan Ballard who had 14 RBIs in 14 at-bats.  He ended the week with a 1.929 slugging percentage.

7…Extra base hits-3 home runs, 3 doubles and a triple-in four games by Rutgers’ Pat Biserta.  The junior had a grand slam and totaled 13 RBIs to help RU go 4-0 after a 1-8 start to the season.

All 2010 Big East Schedules Have Been Released

Bulls head coach Lelo Prado

University of Tampa Baseball Stadium to accommodate the construction set to begin in early April.

“2010 is going to be an exciting year for USF baseball,” said Prado. “This schedule is going to challenge us every time we take the field right from the beginning when we go to Gainesville.”

The Bulls will be tested by the challenging 27-game BIG EAST schedule and will also face Sunshine State rivals Florida, Miami, Florida Atlantic, Stetson, Jacksonville, North Florida and UCF.

The Bulls will kick off 2010 by heading north on Interstate-75 to Gainesville to face Florida in a three-game set on Feb. 19-21. The Gators will make a return trip to Tampa on April 21 for a mid-week tilt at George Steinbrenner Field.

Complete 2010 USF Schedule

USF will then participate in the 2010 Big Ten – Big East Challenge in Clearwater for the second consecutive year. Last year’s Challenge, which featured eight programs from the BIG EAST and all of the Big Ten baseball-playing institutions,  was very well attended, including a final-day attendance of 5,000 for the six games played at the Naimoli Complex.

On Friday, February 26, the first day of the 2010 Challenge, USF will take on Ohio State University at 4:30 p.m. at Al Lang Field. The meeting will mark the eighth meeting and first since 1997 between the Bulls and Buckeyes, with USF holding a 4-3 edge.

The Bulls’ second contest will be under the lights of Bright House Stadium on Saturday against the Fighting Illini of Illinois. The Bulls will look to snap a four-game losing streak dating back to 2004 and even the all-time series at four apiece as the Illini have taken four of the seven all-time meetings.

Prado and his Bulls will wrap up the Challenge on Sunday against familiar opponent Michigan at 1:00 p.m. at the Naimoli Complex.  They will have a chance to avenge a loss suffered in the inaugural Big East – Big Ten Challenge when they dropped a 6-5 decision to the Wolverines in the opening game.

Tickets for the second BIG EAST-Big Ten Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, are available online at www.BigTenBIGEASTChallenge.com.

After the Challenge, the Bulls will collide with Miami in Tampa at George M. Steinbrenner Field as part of the Inaugural Florida Four Tournament on March 2. It will mark the first of two mid-week clashes with the Hurricanes, who made their 37th consecutive NCAA appearance in 2009. USF will make the trip to Miami on April 28.

Following the Florida Four, the Bulls will make the trek to Norman, Okla., March 4-7 for four games including a pair of contests against the Sooners, another 2009 NCAA tournament team.  The Bulls will also take on Stephen F. Austin and Western Illinois during their stay in Norman.

After returning from Norman, USF will stay in Florida for the rest of the month hosting a pair of mid-week games against Jacksonville (March 9-10), and then host a pair of weekend series against Eastern Illinois (March 12-14) and Mercer (March 19-21).

USF will get another crack at Ohio State in March, as the Bulls and Buckeyes will meet on the 24th in a final tune-up before BIG EAST conference play begins at Red McEwen Field.

Due to the recently announced construction of a new USF baseball stadium, all home games played after the Notre Dame series (March 26-28) will be played at either George Steinbrenner Stadium or University of Tampa’s Spartan Stadium.

The new baseball stadium will remain on the same footprint as the existing field, but will be realigned in order to create a plaza and ticketing area that is shared with the new softball stadium. Current plans have the softball field located south of the baseball stadium.

“We are very pleased with the progress and design of the new baseball stadium ,”  said USF Executive Associate Director of Athletics Bill McGillis.’ It is on a fast-track, and we have every intention of having it completed in time for the first pitch of 2011.  We are anticipating a spectacular facility – a very intimate setting with team and spectator amenities that will be first class in every way.  There is not doubt it will be one of the premier college baseball stadiums in the entire country.”

The baseball stadium is expected to include new step-down team dugouts, bullpens, covered batting cages, multiple party pavilions, a press box and a 1,500 seat spectator grandstand with a shade canopy, an elevated, shaded entertainment or hospitality deck and service amenities. The overall capacity of the stadium is expected to exceed 3,000 and is being designed to accommodate additional seating that will enable USF to host NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals.

“We are very happy to accommodate the construction plans for the new stadium by moving to games to Steinbrenner Stadium,” added Prado. “I want to personally the thank New York Yankees, Felix Lopez (Senior Vice President with the New York Yankees), Mark Newman (senior VP of baseball operations of the New York Yankees) along with the University of Tampa because of their help it allows us to begin construction of our facility and have it completed for the 2011 season.”

The 27-game BIG EAST schedule consists of home series against Notre Dame (March 26-28), Georgetown (April 9-11), Villanova (April 23-25), Seton Hall (April 30-May 2) and Connecticut (14-16). The road slate consists of trips to Cincinnati (April 1-3), Rutgers (April 16-18), St. John’s (May 7-9) and will close out the 2010 season with a trip to Pittsburgh (May 20-22) for a three game set in the Steel City.

USF will host home series against Georgetown, Villanova and Connecticut at Steinbrenner Stadium, along with a mid-week match-up against UCF on April 6. UT Spartan Stadium will serve as the Bulls’ home for the Seton Hall series and April 27 game against Florida Gulf Coast.

Times for most home weekend series are as follows: Friday and Saturday night games will be at 7 p.m. and the first pitch for Sunday games will take place at 1 p.m however times may very.

Weekday games are slated for a 7 p.m. start, however times are subject to change. Be sure to check GoUSFBulls.com regularly for any schedule changes and updates.

Earlier this year, the BIG EAST Conference announced the return of the BIG EAST Championships to Clearwater at Bright House Field. It has been chosen as the site of the 2010 and 2011 BIG EAST Conference Baseball Championships.

Bright House Field served as the venue for the 2006, 2008 and 2009 BIG EAST Championships. The 2010 BIG EAST Conference Baseball Championship will be played May 26-30 (Wednesday through Sunday), with the top eight teams in the regular season standings qualifying. The 2011 conference tournament will take place May 25-29. The winner of the BIG EAST Championship receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

The championship game of the 2010 BIG EAST tournament is scheduled to be televised live on ESPNU.

The Bulls lost just five players from a 2009 ball club that went 18-9 in the BIG EAST en route to a second place finish, just a half game back of regular and tournament champion, Louisville. The 2009 BIG EAST Coach of the Year, Lelo Prado, enters his fourth year at USF with a vision to take his program to next level.

2009 Freshmen All-Americans Sam Mende and Todd Brazeal headline a solid core of returners, and the Bulls also bring back their ace in Randy Fontanez, who went 7-3 in 13 starts last season. 2009 BIG EAST Batting Champion Junior Carlin and 2008 Freshman of the Year Ryan Lockwood, also return for the 2010 season.

(Release)

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)

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)

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern head coach Paul Stevens today (Dec. 7) announced the Wildcats’ 2010 schedule, featuring a doubleheader against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Miller Park in Milwaukee.

NU Head Coach Paul Stevens (NU Photo)

After playing games at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (Minnesota Twins) and U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago White Sox) last season, the Wildcats can add a visit to another Major League ballpark to their resume. The twinbill against UWM will be played April 28 following a 12:10 p.m. game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Complete 2010 Northwestern Schedule

NU is scheduled to play its first 23 games away from Evanston beginning with two games apiece against George Mason and Winthrop Feb. 19-21 in Rock Hill, S.C. The Wildcats compete in the second-annual Big Ten/Big East Challenge the following weekend in Florida, taking on Connecticut, Rutgers and Seton Hall in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area.

The Wildcats make a return trip to the Metrodome March 5-7 where participates in the 26th-annual Dairy Queen Classic against host Minnesota, Loyola Marymount and Oklahoma State. NU follows up the trip north by heading to Las Vegas March 11-13 for a four-game series against UNLV.

Northwestern embarks on its spring trip March 20 as it starts things off in Winter Haven, Fla., where the ‘Cats face Bucknell, UMBC, Cornell and Dartmouth. NU then heads to Deland, Fla, where it plays four contests against Stetson March 26-28.

The Wildcats return to Illinois and set to play a solo contest at UIC March 30 before opening Big Ten play at home April 2-4 against defending Big Ten regular season champion Ohio State.

On the heels of a mid-week game against Northern Illinois that is being played in Rockford, Northwestern hits the road in conference play for the first time April 9-11 as it treks to Penn State.

Minnesota invades Rocky Miller Park the following weekend, followed by a home game against Illinois State. NU then embarks on stretch during which it plays its next nine games on the road beginning with three games at Purdue April 23-25. Following the doubleheader against Milwaukee at Miller Park, the ‘Cats play a weekend series at Illinois and then a solo game against Valparaiso at U.S. Steel Yard in Gary, Ind.

Northwestern finally returns home May 7 as it faces defending Big Ten tournament champion Indiana in a weekend set. After a home game against UIC May 11, the Wildcats hit the road for the final time during the regular season as they travel to Michigan.

The 2010 regular season concludes May 20-22 as NU hosts Michigan State.

The 2010 Big Ten Tournament is slated for May 26-30 and is being held at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, for the second consecutive year.

(Release)

CAMBIDGE, Mass. - Harvard has posted its completed 2010 baseball schedule. Joe Walsh’s Crimson plays its first 22 games away from home in what will be a 43-game regular season schedule.

Harvard Head Coach Joe Walsh

7 p.m. that night to face the host Hatters team. The next day Harvard confronts Kansas State in a noon start.

Complete 2010 Harvard Schedule

The Crimson then embarks on a 10-day trip to Minnesota and the Carolinas. On March 12-14, Harvard plays single games at the Minneapolis Metrodome, opening against the host Gophers on the 12^th. Harvard defeated Minnesota, 9-1, during its last trip to the Dome in 2005. Harvard will also play South Dakota State (13^th) and Creighton (14^th) during the three-day tournament.

Harvard has a short turnaround following the Creighton game as the Crimson takes on Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C. at 3 p.m. on March 15.   The following day Harvard takes on Winthrop in Rock Hill, N.C. before playing two games in as many days at UNC – Greensboro. Harvard concludes its southern swing with a three-game set at Charlotte, March 19-21.

After six off days, Harvard travels to Hartford, Conn. for doubleheaders against Sacred Heart (March 27) and the University of Hartford (March 28). Following a midweek game at Holy Cross, March 31, Harvard gets into its Ivy League schedule with twinbills at Princeton (April 3) and Cornell (April 4).

Harvard’s home opener comes April 6 against Bryant University. That weekend, the Crimson hosts Penn and Columbia at O’Donnell Field as part of the five-game home stand.

The Crimson makes a short trip to Northeastern on April 13, one day before a first round game of the annual Beanpot at Boston College. The final round of the tournament is scheduled for April 20 at Fenway Park and Harvard will play another regularly-scheduled game against Boston College on the 21st.

Harvard hosts the Brown Bears in a four-game set at O’Donnell Field April 17-18 while traveling to Yale for four games the following weekend in its pivotal Rolfe Division games. The Crimson then plays home-and-home twinbills against Dartmouth with the first set being played at O’Donnell Field on May 1. The Ivy League Championship Series, pitting the Rolfe and Gehrig Division winners in a 2-of-3 series, will take place May 8-9.

(Release)

MANHATTAN, Kan. - A 13-game homestand during the month of March and 29 games against 2009 NCAA Regional competition highlight Kansas State’s slate as head coach Brad Hill released the Wildcats’ 2010 baseball schedule on Thursday.

Complete 2010 Kansas State Schedule (PDF)

“This will be a challenging schedule,” Hill said. “We open the season with 12 games on the road and will take on 10 NCAA Regional teams from a year ago, including three in our first homestand. The nonconference schedule will help prepare our young squad for the always challenging Big 12 Conference.”

Kansas State Head Coach Brad Hill

The 2009 season opens on Friday, Feb. 19, at The Citadel Memorial Challenge against Delaware. The Cats then face East Tennessee State on Saturday before taking on the host school, The Citadel, on Sunday. K-State will then stay in Charleston, S.C., to face the Bulldogs for an extra game on Monday, Feb. 22.

Kansas State travels to Florida to play eight games in nine days, beginning with the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational at Chain of Lakes Park – the former spring training home of the Cleveland Indians – in Winter Haven, Fla. The Cats will play five games in the invitational, which runs Saturday, February 27 through Wednesday, March 3. K-State will play against a combination of teams in Duquesne, Illinois State, Maine, Northeastern, St. Bonaventure, Valparaiso, Villanova and Western Michigan. The exact schedule for the tournament will be released at a later date.

Following a day off on Thursday, K-State will participate in the Bright House Invitational, hosted by Stetson, beginning Friday, March 5, in DeLand, Fla. The Wildcats will face the Hatters on Friday before squaring off against Notre Dame on Saturday. Kansas State will finish its Florida excursion and 12-game road trip to start the season on Sunday against Harvard. The 12-game road trip is the longest to start a season since 1972.

Kansas State will open its home slate with season-long 13-game homestand beginning on Friday, March 12, against Kent State. The Cats continue their series with the Golden Flashes with a Saturday doubleheader at 12 p.m., while the series finale is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. Following a home contest against Creighton on Tuesday, March 16, the Cats will play another four-game weekend series beginning on Friday, March 19, against UW-Milwaukee.

The season-long homestand also sees the start of Big 12 play for Kansas State as the Wildcats welcome Oklahoma State to Tointon Family Stadium for a three-game series beginning Friday, March 26, at 6:30 p.m. The homestand and the month of March concludes with a visit from in-state rival Wichita State on Tuesday, March 30.

K-State’s first conference road trip is to Lubbock, Texas, as the Cats face Texas Tech, April 1-3, before coming home to take on Nebraska, April 9-11.

K-State, which traveled to BYU two years ago and played the Cougars last season in Manhattan, will travel to Provo, Utah, for a two-game series against the Mountain West Conference school on April 13 and 14.

Following a three-game home conference series against 2009 NCAA Regional participant Baylor, April 16-18, the Cats travel to Eck Stadium in Wichita to conclude their season series against the Shockers on Tuesday, April 20. K-State will then stay on the road as it travels to Columbia, Mo., to face Missouri, April 23-25.

The Wildcats will face Chicago State, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 27 and 28, in Manhattan, before traveling to Oklahoma to end April and begin May as they play the Sooners Friday, April 30, through Sunday, May 2.

The final stretches of the season see Kansas State at home for seven of its final 11 games. The Wildcats will step out of conference play for the final time in 2010 as it hosts 2009 NCAA Regional participant and Big Ten member Minnesota, Tuesday and Wednesday, May 4 and 5.

College World Series runner-up Texas comes calling for a three-game weekend series in Manhattan beginning Friday, May 7.

The Cats will renew their in-state rivalry against Kansas beginning Friday, May 14, in Lawrence, before the series shifts to Manhattan for the Saturday and Sunday contests.  The Jayhawks are another 2009 NCAA Regional team.

Kansas State’s regular season concludes in College Station, Texas, with a three-game series at Texas A&M, beginning Friday, May 21.

The 2010 Big 12 Championship will be conducted May 26-30 at Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Okla., while NCAA Regionals will run June 4-7 at 16 various on-campus sites throughout the country.