FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Fullerton, Calif. – One of the toughest college baseball schedules in the country just got tougher. Cal State Fullerton’s Head Coach Dave Serrano announced changes to the 2009 baseball schedule that will see the Titans complete their 56-game schedule, add another headline opponent and create an extended road trip that will keep the team away from home for 11 consecutive days.
Fullerton, previously scheduled to sandwich a midweek home game between trips to Southern Miss (Mar. 6-8) and Oklahoma State (Mar. 13-15), has moved its March 11 home game versus Pepperdine to Apr. 22 to accommodate a midweek match up with Texas A&M on Mar. 10 in College Station, Texas. The switch will keep the Titans out of state from Mar. 5 to Mar. 15 and add another 2008 Super Regional qualifier to the slate.
“We are very thankful to the administration for allowing us the opportunity to stay on the road for an extended period of time, and giving us the chance to add another formidable opponent in Texas A&M to our already challenging schedule,” Serrano said.
“It will be a very taxing road trip, but it will be an extremely good challenge for this team to compete in these atmospheres – against these high-caliber programs.”
With the addition of the Aggies to the schedule, 33 of the Titans’ 56 games will be played against 2008 NCAA Regional teams.
Serrano did not set out to make his non-conference travel schedule so demanding. Last-minute weekend series and midweek cancellations with more traditional Fullerton opponents left the second-year Titan skipper scrambling to find quality opponents to fit into the vacancies.
The Titans last faced Texas A&M in 1999 at the College World Series, beating the Aggies 4-2, in their only win of the series.
Fullerton also shifted its St. Patrick’s Day pairing with USC to Apr. 28 to accommodate all the other movement in the schedule.
Cal State Fullerton begins its 2009 season on Feb. 20 against TCU at Goodwin Field.
