FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans baseball team will play two schools that reached the College World Series last year, highlighting the 2010 schedule released on Tuesday.
The Privateers will play 12 games against schools that reached NCAA postseason play last season, including three games against CWS participants LSU and Southern Mississippi.
UNO, under new head coach Bruce Peddie, will travel to USM on March 16 before hosting the Golden Eagles at Maestri Field on April 13.
The Privateers will meet LSU on April 27 in Baton Rouge. The Tigers are the defending national champions.
"Both teams just had tremendous seasons last year, and both programs will never be short on talent," Peddie said. "Those types of games are spread out across our schedule, so we’ll have to be ready to play day-in and day-out."
The Privateers will play 56 games in 2010, including 31 at Maestri Field. UNO will open the season on Feb. 19 with a three-game home series against St. John’s.
The Red Storm has reached NCAA Regional play in two of the last three seasons. Other non-conference weekend home series include Youngstown State (Feb. 26 through 28) and Fairleigh Dickinson (March 5 through 7).
UNO will also play three contests against crosstown rival Tulane. The Privateers will play at Tulane on Feb. 24 and March 23, and will host the Green Wave on March 9.
Other in-state matchups include home-and-home series with Southern, Nicholls State and McNeese State.
The Privateers will play 30 Sun Belt Conference games, starting with a three-game series at home against Western Kentucky March 12 through 14.
Other SBC home series include Arkansas State (March 26 through 28), Florida Atlantic (April 9 through 11), Troy (April 23 through 25) and Louisiana-Lafayette (May 7 through 9).
The Sun Belt Conference Championship will be held May 26 through 29 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
"The Sun Belt is always going to be competitive and you’re always going to see a number of guys who will play at the next level," Peddie said. "Combine that with the quality programs in Louisiana, and I think we will have a schedule that can get us to the postseason."
For ticket information, please call 504-280-GAME or log on to UNOPrivateers.com.
