FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Derrick Miramontes (Courtesy of UIC Media Relations)
CHICAGO – The UIC baseball team unveiled its 2009 schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 20, with a season-opening series against perennial national power Texas beginning a challenging slate for the defending Horizon League champion Flames.
UIC’s campaign begins a month from now against the Longhorns on Friday, Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m. in Austin, Texas. That is the first of a four-game set against Texas, which is ranked fourth in Baseball America’s Preseason Top 25 Rankings.
From there the Flames head to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to face the Crimson Tide in a four-game series at Sewell-Thomas Stadium from Feb. 27-Mar. 1.
For the third straight season UIC will take a trip to Hawkins Field in Nashville to face Vanderbilt in a four-game series from Mar. 5-8. Last year the Flames chalked up a memorable 2-1 comeback victory over the then-fifth-ranked Commodores on Mar. 6, 2008.
The Flames host Opening Day at Les Miller Field on Thursday, Mar. 12 against Northwestern at 4:05 p.m. to begin a three-game series against the Wildcats. That set is followed by a two-game visit by Purdue from Mar. 17-18.
UIC begins the Horizon League campaign at home against Cleveland State on Mar. 20 before embarking on a two-game midweek trip to Missouri from Mar. 24-25 in Columbia, Mo. The Tigers are ranked 10th by Baseball America.
Another big non-conference clash for the Flames takes place from Apr. 17-19 in Omaha, Neb., as UIC takes on Creighton in a three-game series. The Apr.18 game between the Flames and the Bluejays will take place at Rosenblatt Stadium, the home of the College World Series.
The Flames end the month of April against Notre Dame in South Bend and begin May with six home contests in eight days before ending the regular season with six consecutive road games.
UIC will defend its Horizon League title and seek to clinch a third consecutive trip to NCAA Regional play at the 2009 Horizon League Baseball Championship at The Pipe Yard in Lorain, Ohio from May 19-24. The Flames have won the last two tournament crowns and seven consecutive regular season championships.
23 players from last year’s squad, including Brooks Wallace Award candidates and 2008 leading hitters Brett Schaefer and Steve McGuiggan and reigning Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Derrick Miramontes, return to anchor the 2009 edition of the UIC baseball team.
