FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
The 2010 edition of Memphis baseball faces another demanding schedule that will showcase 29 home games, including 13 contests versus NCAA Regional participants, head coach Daron Schoenrock announced today.
"Staying with the promise to our athletes and Tiger fans, this is another very challenging college baseball schedule," Schoenrock stated. "Conference USA weekend series’ are very tough and our non-conference schedule is designed to prepare the team for these weekends. Strength of schedule is a huge factor in developing the RPI necessary to make the NCAA Regionals. I look forward to seeing the 2010 Tiger team attack this schedule and the challenges that await us."
With a more experienced club, Schoenrock has ramped up the competition for the upcoming season. In its 56-game schedule, Memphis will play 20 games against 2009 NCAA Regional participants, 14 contests versus five clubs that won either their respective regular season or conference tournament titles, 11 games against NCAA Regional champs and three against one College World Series qualifier.
With FedExPark set to open in February, Memphis will get the 2010 season underway, at home, with a three-game set against in-state rival and Sun Belt Tournament champs Middle Tennessee–one of the Tiger’s seven opponents that advanced to NCAA postseason play in 2009. The MTSU series is just one of four weekends in which Memphis will host an NCAA Regional foe. The Tigers will also host 2009 Ohio Valley Tournament champ Tennessee Tech (Mar. 19-21), 2009 C-USA Tournament winner Rice (Mar. 26-28) and 2009 C-USA regular season title holders East Carolina (Apr. 9-11) at the new ballpark.
Memphis will welcome C-USA opponents Tulane (Apr. 23-25) and UAB (May 7-9) to its new home, while making weekend trips to Marshall (Apr. 2-3), Houston (Apr. 16-18), UCF (Apr. 30- May 2) and College World Series participant Southern Miss (May 20-22).
As is customary for the Tigers, they will participate in the Service Academies Spring Classic at Millington’s USA Stadium. There Memphis will take on Toledo, Pittsburgh and Bradley on Feb 26-28, respectively.
The Tiger’s non-conference slate is highlighted by a pair tilts versus NCAA Regional champions Ole Miss. Memphis will travel to Oxford, Miss. for a March 2 meeting, before hosting the Rebels in the annual clash at AutoZone Park on April 13. In efforts to boost its RPI late in the year, Memphis will travel to Big 12 member, Oklahoma for a three-game weekend, May 14-16. The U of M will make home-and-home trips with Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State. Other non-league sets include a two-game series’ at Dallas Baptist (Mar. 12-13) and against South Alabama (Mar. 16-17).
For the second-straight season, the Tigers will make the short drive to Jackson, Tenn., to play Austin Peay at Pringles Park, home of the Seattle Mariners Class AA affiliate West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx.
Memphis will play single road games at UT-Martin (Feb.23), at Mississippi State (Mar. 24). The Tigers will host single home contests against Portland (Mar. 8), UCA (May 11) and Murray State (May 12).
