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Thoughts on Tar Heels, Golden Eagles, the Pac 10 and even Toby Gerhart and the NFL Draft with Collegebaseball360.com editor Sean Stires.

Two For Home? North Carolina and Southern Mississippi were two of the “Omaha Eight” last year, but more and more they are looking like teams that could be left entirely out of the field of 64 this season.  UNC (23-16, 6-12 ACC) enters this weekend’s series at Clemson tied with Duke for last place in the ACC Coastal Division.  However,

Mike Fox (UNC photo)

they’re technically not even tied with the Blue Devils, because Duke took two of three games from the Tar Heels last month.  That was the first of four ACC series losses by UNC already this season.  As we pointed out in our Notebook earlier this week, the Tar Heels lost just six ACC series over the last four seasons combined.  They entered the week with a solid 36 in the NCAA RPI, but  have lost seven of their last nine games while continuing to drop in every national poll.  In addition to Clemson, North Carolina’s remaining conference series are Wake Forest, at Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Meanwhile, Southern Mississippi (18-17, 2-7 CUSA) is completely reeling.  With an NCAA RPI of 102, last year’s CWS darlings have lost three straight and seven of their last nine games.   Mid-week losses to LSU and Ole Miss are one thing, but USM has lost its last three Conference USA series to UAB, Central Florida and Marshall to plummet to dead last in the conference standings.

The Pac Is Back: After a down year in 2009 the Pac 10 is looking very good.  Arizona State and UCLA grabbed most of the early season headlines with their long winning streaks to start the season, but the league is deep.  Seven teams, #1 Arizona State, #6 UCLA, #16 Arizona, #18 California, #20 Oregon, #24 Oregon State, and #29 Stanford,  are ranked among the CB 360 Composite National Rankings top 30. Each of those teams is

Toby Gerhart hit 16 HR and ran for 44 TDs in his two-sport career (Stanford photo)

also in the NCAA RPI top 30.  At least six of those teams should receive an NCAA bid this season, making it even tougher for a team like North Carolina to find a bid of its own.

Go Gerhart: As I write this the start of the 2010 NFL Draft is just hours away.  It’s hard to believe, but former Stanford two-sport star Toby Gerhart isn’t expected to be taken until the end of the second round…at the earliest.  This is a guy who set Pac 10 records and led the nation with 28 rushing touchdowns and 1,871 rushing yards in 2009.  He also played in 105 college baseball games, while helping the Cardinal to the 2008 College World Series.  He had good 40 times at the NFL Combine, but he’ll slip in the draft because the last white running back to have any real NFL success was John Riggins.  At least one scout has said “If Toby Gerhart was black, he would be drafted in the first round.”  I’m no scout, but was Gerhart too slow when he ran over and around USC’s Taylor Mays when he ran for 178 yards, while running for 3 TDs and catching another in Stanford’s 55-21 win at USC?  Mays is expected to be a first round pick.   Pete Carroll wanted Gerhart to be a fullback when he recruited him, but he ran over Carroll’s linebackers instead.   Gerhart proved Carroll and a lot of other doubters wrong in college, and let’s hope he does the same again in the NFL.

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MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois head baseball coach Mike Villano announced the 2010 baseball schedule, Thursday, Dec. 17.

Leatherneck head coach Mike Villano

but I think that will help our guys build a lot of character.”

Complete 2010 Western Illinois Schedule

The 2010 schedule begins with a doubleheader at Alabama State as part of a three-game series from Feb. 27-28. The Leathernecks then travel to Saint Louis for a single game against the Billikens on March 3 before traveling to Norman, Okla. to take part in the Sooner Classic from March 5-7. Western will face tournament-host Oklahoma on March 5 before a double-header against Stephen F. Austin on March 6. The Leathernecks will conclude the tournament with a single game against USF on March 7.

Western will travel back to Saint Louis for a single game tilt on March 9 before traveling to Missouri to play a single game against the Tigers on March 10. The Leathernecks continue their swing through the Big XII with a two game series at Oklahoma State from March 16-17.

The team then heads south for a three-game series at UAB from March 19-21 before facing Arkansas-Little Rock for two games from March 23-24. Western Illinois returns to the Midwest for a three-game series at Iowa from March 26-28.

Western’s home schedule opens up with a game against Coe College on March 31 before the team heads back to Iowa for a single game on April 6. The Leathernecks will then return to Macomb for an 11-game homestand beginning with a single game against Clarke College on April 7. The homestand continues as Western opens up Summit League play with a four-game series against North Dakota State (April 9-11) before welcoming Bradley for one game on April 14.

“It’s always nice to be at home for an extended period of time,” Villano said. “I think we’ll need that long homestand after being on the road for over a month. It’s always good for the team to be able to come back to a place that they know really well.”

The Leathernecks will then welcome another Summit League opponent for a four-game series when IPFW comes to town April 16-18. The homestand concludes with a game against Illinois College on April 20.

Western will hit the road again as it faces last year’s Summit League champion Oral Roberts in a four-game series from April 23-25. The Leathernecks continue Summit League play with a four-game home series against Oakland from April 30-May 2 before heading to Bradley for a single game on May 4.

Western will then travel south for the second time to take on conference foe Centenary in a four-game series from May 7-9 before returning home for a four-game series against Southern Utah from May 14-16. The Leathernecks will then travel to Davenport, Iowa for a neutral-site game against the Hawkeyes on May 18.

Western concludes its 2010 regular-season schedule with a four-game series at South Dakota State from May 20-22.

The Summit League Tournament will be held in Tulsa, Okla. from May 27-29 and features the top four teams from The Summit League.

(Release)

Tigers’ Schedule highlighted by 29 home games at FedExPark

Memphis Head Coach Daron Schoenrock

Schoenrock stated. “Conference USA weekend series’ are very tough and our non-conference schedule is designed to prepare the team for these weekends. Strength of schedule is a huge factor in developing the RPI necessary to make the NCAA Regionals. I look forward to seeing the 2010 Tiger team attack this schedule and the challenges that await us.”

Complete 2010 Memphis Schedule

With a more experienced club, Schoenrock has ramped up the competition for the upcoming season. In its 56-game schedule, Memphis will play 20 games against 2009 NCAA Regional participants, 14 contests versus five clubs that won either their respective regular season or conference tournament titles, 11 games against NCAA Regional champs and three against one College World Series qualifier.

With FedExPark set to open in February, Memphis will get the 2010 season underway, at home, with a three-game set against in-state rival and Sun Belt Tournament champs Middle Tennessee State–one of the Tiger’s seven opponents that advanced to NCAA postseason play in 2009. The MTSU series is just one of four weekends in which Memphis will host an NCAA Regional foe. The Tigers will also host 2009 Ohio Valley Tournament champ Tennessee Tech (Mar. 19-21), 2009 C-USA Tournament winner Rice (Mar. 26-28) and 2009 C-USA regular season title holders East Carolina (Apr. 9-11) at the new ballpark.

Memphis will welcome C-USA opponents Tulane (Apr. 23-25) and UAB (May 7-9) to its new home, while making weekend trips to Marshall (Apr. 2-3), Houston (Apr. 16-18), UCF (Apr. 30- May 2) and College World Series participant Southern Miss (May 20-22).

As is customary for the Tigers, they will participate in the Service Academies Spring Classic at Millington’s USA Stadium. There Memphis will take on Toledo, Pittsburgh and Bradley on Feb 26-28, respectively.

The Tiger’s non-conference slate is highlighted by a pair tilts versus NCAA Regional champions Ole Miss. Memphis will travel to Oxford, Miss. for a March 2 meeting, before hosting the Rebels in the annual clash at AutoZone Park on April 13. In efforts to boost its RPI late in the year, Memphis will travel to Big 12 member, Oklahoma for a three-game weekend, May 14-16. The U of M will make home-and-home trips with Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State. Other non-league sets include a two-game series’ at Dallas Baptist (Mar. 12-13) and against South Alabama (Mar. 16-17).

For the second-straight season, the Tigers will make the short drive to Jackson, Tenn., to play Austin Peay at Pringles Park, home of the Seattle Mariners Class AA affiliate West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx.

Memphis will play single road games at UT-Martin (Feb.23), at Mississippi State (Mar. 24). The Tigers will host single home contests against Portland (Mar. 8), UCA (May 11) and Murray State (May 12).

(Release)

Bulldogs open the 2010 season on Feb. 19 vs. Marshall

Samford Head Coach Casey Dunn

single games on Feb. 19 and 21, and a doubleheader on Feb. 20.

Complete 2010 Samford Schedule

“We’ve brought in some quality non-conference opponents,” Dunn said. “We’re bringing in Marshall out of Conference USA and also Minnesota and Michigan State out of the Big 10. These are teams that play good baseball but who people in our state are not used to seeing on a regular basis. We feel like the strength of our non-conference schedule should be great for us as we prepare for a tough conference schedule.”

The Bulldogs will play their next four games on the road. Samford plays at Troy on Feb. 23, and then plays a three-game series at Kennesaw State Feb. 26-28.

Samford will play host to the University of Alabama on Mar. 2. The Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide will square off at 6 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Samford will welcome Evansville to Joe Lee Griffin Field for a three-game series Mar. 5-7. The Bulldogs will play host to the first of two Big 10 opponents when they take on Michigan State on Mar. 9 at 6 p.m.

After paying at in-state rival Jacksonville State on Mar. 10, Samford will open Southern Conference play at College of Charleston, Mar. 12-14.

“This is a great conference with very good baseball,” Dunn said as his team prepares for its second season as a member of the Southern Conference. “We are excited about year two in the league. We are excited about the opportunity to compete and we feel like we have a Southern Conference caliber team this year.”

Samford will then play its next nine games at home. The Bulldogs will play host to Jacksonville State on Mar. 16, and they will play a four-game series with Minnesota Mar. 18-21.

Samford will play host to Auburn University on Mar. 23. The game between the Bulldogs and the Tigers is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start from Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Samford will host its first home conference series of the season Mar. 26-28, when the Bulldogs take on the Furman Paladins. The following weekend, Apr. 1-3, Samford will play at SoCon foe Davidson.

The Bulldogs will return home on Apr. 6, when Samford hosts in-state rival Troy at 6 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Samford will then play host to the UNC Greensboro Spartans in another SoCon series, Apr. 9-11. After playing a midweek game at Alabama, Apr. 13, Samford will travel to Georgia Southern for a conference series Apr. 16-18.

Next up, Samford will play two midweek games against cross-town rival UAB. The teams will play Apr. 20 at UAB’s Young Memorial Field, and Apr. 21 at Samford’s Joe Lee Griffin Field.

The weekend of Apr. 23-25, the Bulldogs will play host to Appalachian State in a league series. After playing at Auburn on Apr. 27, the Bulldogs will play host to The Citadel in a SoCon series Apr. 30-May 2.

The Bulldogs will play at conference foe Wofford, May 7-9, and then Samford will play its final home games in a SoCon series against Western Carolina, May 14-16.

Samford will wrap up its regular season with a SoCon series at Elon. The Bulldogs and Phoenix will meet May 19-21 in Elon, N.C.

The 2010 SoCon Baseball Tournament is scheduled for May 26-30 in Charleston, S.C.

(Release)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eighteen home games and a return to Florida for the annual spring break trip highlights Eastern Illinois baseball’s 2010 schedule, unveiled by head coach Jim Schmitz.

EIU Head Coach Jim Schmitz

three-game series at USF this year, EIU is expected to take on Army, Akron, Indiana and Ohio State in neutral-site games in Bradenton, Fla.

Complete 2010 Eastern Illinois Schedule

“It is another demanding schedule, playing 22 of our first 23 games on the road,” Schmitz said. “The NCAA moved the start of the season up one week, which allowed us to play another series on the road. We play seven teams that were ranked in the Top 100 of the RPI ranking in 2009. Our spring break is going to be our biggest test, as we play a three-game set with USF and then finish the trip with Indiana and Ohio State. The last few years we have made the schedule tougher in order to improve our RPI. It is the only way we can possibly get an at-large bid (to the NCAA Tournament).

The weekend of May 14-16, EIU is scheduled to host Indiana State and SIU Edwardsville. The Panthers will play ISU on May 14 and SIUE on May 15 and 16. The Sycamores and Cougars will also square off at Coaches Stadium at noon on Saturday, May 15.

Eastern is slated to open the season in Hammond, La., against Southeastern Louisiana for the third year in a row. The Panthers won two-of-three last year after getting swept in 2008.

Eastern last visited Belmont during the 2007 spring break trip and last played at UAB in 2003, participating in a four-team tournament.

For the third year in a row, EIU is scheduled to take on Missouri at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, Mo. The midweek game at the home of the Frontier League’s River City Rascals is expected to be played with wood bats.

(Release)

STARKVILLE, Miss. – A slate of 33 games at Dudy Noble Field featuring 17 different opponents highlights a challenge-filled 56-game Mississippi State University baseball schedule announced this week by MSU head baseball coach John Cohen.

MSU Head Coach John Cohen

“We feel like we’ve put together another very good baseball schedule, with half of our games against teams from the NCAA tournament field and 15 against NCAA Super Regional teams,” said Cohen.

“We’re excited about playing an additional game at Trustmark Park in Pearl this season and giving our great fan base in the Jackson area three week-night opportunities to see the Bulldogs play. “With an extra week added to the playing season, our schedule is spread out over 14 weeks, and now in most weeks we’ll be playing just one mid-week game.”

Complete 2010 Mississippi State Schedule (PDF)

MSU launches its 120th season of baseball and a string of 13 consecutive games at Dudy Noble Field Feb. 19-21 with a three-game series against first-time opponent and Atlantic 10 Conference runner-up Rhode Island. State also hosts Southeastern Louisiana in a three-game weekend series (Feb. 26-28) and closes out the home stand with the second annual BankFirst Baseball Challenge (Mar. 5-7). The Bulldogs play two games each against Michigan State of the Big 10 Conference and Ohio Valley Conference foe Southeast Missouri State, coached by former Bulldog assistant Mark Hogan, in the three-day, six-game event.

The Bulldogs begin their 30-game SEC schedule March 19-21 in Gainesville, Fla., with a three-game series at Florida. State’s 15-game home SEC slate for 2010 includes series against SEC Western Division rivals Arkansas and Ole Miss and SEC East teams Georgia, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The MSU-UT series (Apr. 16-18) will be part of the schedule for Mississippi State’s annual spring homecoming, Super Bulldog Weekend.

Mississippi State’s non-conference home schedule also includes single midweek contests against instate SWAC foes Alcorn State, Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State along with Memphis, Northwestern State, South Alabama, UAB, and Western Kentucky.

State makes a program-first trip to Corpus Christi, Texas, for its initial road competition of the 2010 season. The Bulldogs square off against Big 12 Conference power Oklahoma, UCLA of the Pac-10 Conference and tournament host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the fifth annual Whataburger Classic (Mar. 12-14). The event is held at Whataburger Field, the 5,000-seat home of the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Houston Astros’ Class AA Texas League affiliate.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to make three mid-week appearances at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss., in the coming season. MSU is the designated home team against Ole Miss in the fourth annual Governor’s Cup game (Mar. 30) at Trustmark Park, and later takes on Jackson State (May 4) and Southern Miss (May 5) at the home of the Atlanta Braves‘ Class AA Southern League affiliate.

Nine of MSU’s 26 baseball opponents in 2010 are newcomers to the MSU schedule, including season-opening foe Rhode Island and SEC opening weekend opponent Florida, which replaces Kentucky on the Bulldogs’ SEC league schedule in 2010.

State closes out its regular season schedule in Baton Rouge, La., with a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series against defending NCAA national champion LSU (May 20-22).

The 2010 SEC Baseball Tournament is set May 26-30 at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala., while the NCAA baseball tournament begins competition June 4 at 16 regional sites.

(Release)

Knights have a total of 36 games at home this season

UCF Head Coach Terry Rooney

“We are looking forward to a very competitive 2010 schedule,” said second-year head coach Terry Rooney. “As always Conference USA continuously ranks as one of the top five baseball leagues in the country. That combined with our non-conference schedule will give fans plenty of opportunities to see the Knights this year.”

Complete 2010 UCF Schedule

While UCF has three more home games this year compared to 2009, prices on season tickets remain unchanged for the 2010 campaign. Reserved chairback seating behind homeplate will be $199, while a reserved bleacher season ticket costs $150 for adults and $99 for faculty/staff, youth and seniors.  Orders can be placed through the ticket office at 407-823-1000.

Opening Day 2010 is set for Friday, Feb. 19, at 6:30 p.m. when Savannah State travels to Orlando for a three-game series in what will be the first meeting between the Knights and Tigers.

Following a midweek tilt at Florida Feb. 24, UCF will host Siena (Feb. 26-28), Duquesne (March 2), North Florida (March 3), Central Michigan (March 5-7), Miami (March 9), Hartford (March 12-14) and USF (March 16) in a 13-game homestand.

The clash with the Miami Hurricanes marks the first contest between the two programs since 1995. UCF eventually makes the return trip to face UM March 23.

The Knights’ remaining non-conference home series takes place March 19-21 against Presbyterian, another team UCF has never faced.

For the second-straight season, UCF kicks off the Conference USA slate on the road when it heads to Houston March 26-28. Rooney’s program also makes trips this year to square off against Southern Mississippi, Marshall and Tulane. USM is coming off its first appearance in the College World Series.

Meanwhile, UCF welcomes UAB, Rice, Memphis and East Carolina to its East Orlando campus. The Owls and Pirates are both hoping to ride momentum from last year as they both reached the 2009 NCAA Super Regionals.

(Press Release)

UA Will Play 32 Games Against SEC Yeams And 22 Games Vs. 2009 NCAA Teams

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama announced its 2010 college baseball schedule on Monday, which includes 32 games against Southeastern Conference teams and 22 games with teams that played in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

The list of 2009 NCAA Regional qualifiers includes Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Minnesota, Mississippi, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.  Of those eight teams, four played in NCAA Super Regionals and two advanced to the College World Series.

Alabama’s non-conference series includes games against South Alabama, Illinois-Chicago, College of Charleston, Stony Brook and Minnesota.

First Year Alabama Skipper Mitch Gaspard

“I think the schedule sets up pretty well and that will be similar to the schedules we would like to play in the future,” first-year Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard said  “We would like to play one non-conference series with an NCAA Regional-type team each year.  I would like for that to be regionalized, where it is a team that would draw some interest from our fans and when we go there it would draw some interest. So I think in the future we want to have one kind of marquee weekend before we hit conference play that puts us in an atmosphere, whether it be at home or on the road, that would be similar to an SEC weekend.”

In addition to its 10-week SEC regular-season schedule, Alabama will play two non-conference games with Georgia and Auburn in 2010. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs, who do not play a league game in the regular season for the first time since 1994, will meet on Wednesday, March 3 at Regions Park in Hoover.  Alabama and Auburn will meet in the second annual Capital City Classic on Tuesday, March 9 at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery.

“I think the schedule is really good this year,” Gaspard added. “Minnesota has been really good.  They’ve been in a regional almost every year.  They are one of the better Big 10 teams out there.  It gives you some different flavor bringing some different folks in and the name has a lot to do with it so there is some excitement among our players and fans when you bring in a Big 10 school or someone from out of our region that traditionally plays good baseball. It’s a different look and a different style.

“That’s something that we want to continue to do, along with playing the teams in the state. It’s always important to play those people here and on the road.  When you put a schedule together, you want to put it together where it will continue to help you improve throughout the season.”

The Crimson Tide will also face Michigan State in a midweek game in Tuscaloosa and in-state foes Jacksonville State, Samford and UAB.

“I think early on in the season some of those marquee Tuesday and Wednesday games are important.  It gives you an opportunity to play some folks you would not otherwise play that you may match up with in a regional,” Gaspard said.

“I want to look at teams that play different styles, so you become comfortable with two or three different styles of play in your opponents, so when you run into a team that plays the short game, at least you’ve prepared for that for a weekend.  You may run into a base-to-base, power or power-pitching team, whatever it may be, and try to match up the best you can.  Normally the style and philosophy of the head coach does not change a lot, so you try to play some folks that will make you change a little bit as far as the style of play, where you can make some adjustments as the season goes along.”

Alabama will play SEC home series’ with Vanderbilt, Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida and Mississippi in 2010, while traveling to Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina and Tennessee.