FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
AKRON, Ohio – Head coach Pat Bangtson and the Zips have released the 2010 baseball schedule. The Zips open the season with four consecutive tournaments, traveling to Las Cruces, N.M., Wilmington N.C. and Florida for preseason competition. The 56-game schedule opens on February 19th and will run through May 22nd. The Mid-American Conference tournament is slated for May 26th through 30th.
Once again, Akron will play a challenging preseason schedule as a precursor to Mid-American Conference play. Akron is slated to face The University of Minnesota, New Mexico State and The University of North Carolina-Wilmington as well as Stony Brook University in the preseason. The Zips open up against the Golden Gophers in Fort Myers, Fla. playing at Hammond Stadium-Spring Training Facility for the Minnesota Twins.
Akron will travel to Winter Haven, Fla. over spring break to compete in the prestigious RussMatt Central Florida Invitational (March 12-21), which welcomes some of the most competitive baseball programs from around the country. Akron is tentatively scheduled to face Butler (Horizon League), Army (Patriot League), North Dakota State (Summit League), Hartford (America East Conference), Eastern Illinois (Ohio Valley Conference), Dartmouth (The Ivy League), The University of Illinois and Indiana University (Big Ten Conference).
The Zips boasted a 10-6 record at Lee Jackson Field in 2009 and will open up at home against Duquesne University on Wednesday, March 24th. Akron will also play non-conference games at home against Cleveland State University, Lake Erie College, Malone University, The University of Pittsburgh and Youngstown State University. Additionally, the Zips will make their third consecutive trip to Columbus, Ohio to face the Ohio State Buckeyes in a non-conference midweek matchup on April 21st.
Akron’s conference schedule will feature road series versus Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green while the Zips will host Toledo, Buffalo, Ohio, Eastern Michigan and Kent State. The Zips open Conference play on the road against Western Michigan with the series at Kalamazoo, Mich. scheduled March 26-28.
The fourth annual Diamond Classic for Kids is scheduled against Kent State on Saturday, May 22nd at 6:00 p.m. and will be played at Canal Park, home of minor league baseball’s Akron Aeros. The game also serves as the MAC series finale between the two teams with the two prior games taking place at Lee Jackson Field.
