UNC Asheville Announces 2009 Baseball Schedule

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FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Nine games at McCormick Field, a two-game series at national power Florida State and hosting the Big South Conference Baseball Tournament are the highlights of the 2009 UNC Asheville baseball schedule. The 56-game schedule was announced today by head coach Willie Stewart.

“We’re excited about this year’s schedule,” commented Stewart. “We like the fact that we have some games at McCormick Field and very excited about hosting the Big South Conference Tournament there.

“It’s a challenging schedule,” added Stewart. “We have plenty of tough opponents on there, but hopefully our non-conference schedule will prepare us for the Big South Conference.”

UNC Asheville opens the 2009 season at the Courtyard by Marriott Baseball Classic hosted by USC Upstate. The Bulldogs take on ACC foe Virginia Tech on Feb. 20 and face George Mason in a double-header the following day. The team will remain in Spartanburg for a Feb. 22 game at Wofford.

After a road game at Furman (Feb. 24), Asheville returns to Greenwood Field for a four-game series with Central Michigan (Feb. 27-March 1).

The Bulldogs hit the road for six games, starting with a date at Clemson (March 4) and then opening Big South Conference play at Charleston Southern (March 6-7). The road trip ends with a two-game series at East Carolina (March 10-11).

Asheville makes its McCormick Field debut the weekend of March 13-15 against defending Big South Conference champion and Super Regional Finalist Coastal Carolina.

The Bulldogs play at McCormick Field against East Tennessee State (March 17) and travel to mountain rival Western Carolina (March 18). Asheville has a conference series at VMI (March 20-22) and a date at SEC foe Tennessee (March 25).

A nine-game homestand at both McCormick Field and Greenwood Field begins with a Big South Conference series against High Point (March 27-29). The teams will play the first game at McCormick Field (March 27) before moving to Greenwood Field the next two games. Asheville hosts Appalachian State (March 31), Western Carolina (April 1) and Radford (April 3) at McCormick and finishes the Radford series at Greenwood (April 4-5). The homestand finishes up with a McCormick Field date against Furman (April 8).

Highlights of the final part of the regular season include a two-game series at national power Florida State (April 21-22) and a three-game series at Greenwood Field against the College of Charleston (April 24-25). The Bulldogs conclude the regular-season with a three-game Big South Conference series vs. Presbyterian (May 14-16) at Greenwood Field.

The Big South Tournament comes to McCormick Field for the first time May 19-23. The tournament begins on Tuesday, May 19 with two elimination games before the tournament plays three games on May 20. It concludes with the championship game on May 23.

“One of our goals this season is to play a lot of games at McCormick Field the week on May 19,” exclaimed Stewart. “We appreciate the city of Asheville and the Asheville Tourists working with us to allow this tournament to happen. I know it’s going to be a first-rate event.”