FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
LEXINGTON, Va.- The VMI baseball program has announced its 2010 schedule, one that includes 35 home games against just 20 road tests for the upcoming season.
Highlights of the home schedule include visits from 2009 College World Series participant Virginia (April 14), along with in-state rivals Virginia Tech (April 27), Longwood (April 6), James Madison (April 7), Richmond (May 11) and VCU (May 19). Also included will be Big South matchups against Coastal Carolina (April 23-25), Winthrop (May 14-16), Radford (April 30-May 2), Charleston Southern (March 26-28) and Presbyterian College (May 20-22).
The schedule kicks off on Friday, Feb. 19, when Bucknell comes to town for a three-game set. That series will be followed by the VMI’s only road trip of the season’s first month, taking on Richmond at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Home series against Lafayette (Feb. 26-28), Maryland-Eastern Shore (March 5-7) and La Salle (March 11-14) follow, with a visit from Bryant also included (March 8) in the mix.
The Keydets hit the road over Spring Break in mid-March, traveling south for a two-game showdown against military rivals, The Citadel (March 16-17). It will mark the first time that VMI has played a member of the Southern Conference since leaving the league following the 2003 season.
The trip then continues to High Point, as the Keydets will open Big South play against the Panthers for the second time in three seasons, coming March 19-21. A road game at James Madison ends the six-game road stretch on March 24, capping VMI’s longest road swing of the season.
VMI returns home for a Big South series against Charleston Southern, marking VMI’s lone home Big South weekend among their first five conference series. The Keydets hit the road again following that series, heading to Blacksburg for a March 30 matchup versus the Hokies before traveling to Asheville, N.C. for a conference weekend against UNC Asheville (April 2-3).
Following home games against Longwood and James Madison, the team heads to Gardner-Webb for the first time in program history on April 9-11 after knocking the Bulldogs out of the Big South Championship last season. That trip will mark VMI’s last regular season venture outside the Commonwealth, as each of VMI’s final 22 games will be played either at home or at in-state foes.
The Cavaliers pay a visit to Gray-Minor Stadium on Wednesday, April 14. It will mark the first time Virginia has played in Lexington since April 3, 2007, when the Keydets knocked off a third-ranked Cavs’ squad, 5-2, in front of 1,265 fans. VMI then hits the road for four games, including a conference series at Liberty (April 16-18) and a trip to William & Mary on April 21.
The home stretch literally begins from there, as the Keydets will play not only their final four conference series of the season at home, but overall will finish the regular season with 15 of their final 17 contests at the friendly confines of Gray-Minor Stadium. Coastal Carolina kicks things off before a visit from Virginia Tech on Tuesday, April 27. A quick trip to Richmond for an April 28 date against VCU at The Diamond precedes a seven-game home stand for VMI, including dates against Radford, Richmond and Winthrop.
The regular season’s final week begins with a visit to Charlottesville to take on Virginia May 18, while the Keydets return home the next evening against VCU in VMI’s final non-conference tilt. Presbyterian College wraps up its season on May 20-22, playing a three-game set in Lexington.
The 2010 Big South Baseball Championship will be held in Rock Hill, S.C. on May 25-29 and will be hosted by Winthrop.
