FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Head coach Maj. Mike Kazlausky announced the 2011 Air Force baseball schedule today. The 55-game schedule features 20 home games and non-conference road trips to six different states.
The Falcons will play a full Division I schedule for just the second time in program history (other year was 2005). Air Force will play non-conference series in the states of Texas, North Carolina, Arizona, Florida, Kansas and California.
Air Force opens up the 2011 season, Feb. 18-20, with four games in San Marcos, Texas. The Falcons are slated to play Missouri State, Nebraska, Washington and tourney host Texas State over those three days.
The following weekend has AFA in Kinston, N.C., for a three-game neutral-site series with fellow service academy rival Navy, Feb. 25-27. Air Force then heads to Surprise, Ariz., March 3-6, for games vs. Northern Illinois, UC Riverside, Cal State Bakersfield and Kansas.
After four games from March 11-13 in Winter Haven, Fla. (Opponents and times TBA), the Falcons host their first home games, taking on Creighton in a doubleheader on March 16. Air Force then hosts Portland for a four-game set March 18-20.
The Falcons then play two games at Wichita State, March 22-23. Mountain West Conference play kicks off March 25-27 at Utah. Air Force also plays conference road series at TCU (April 1-3), BYU (April 7-9) and New Mexico (May 6-8). The Falcons have home conference series against San Diego State (April 21-23), Utah (April 29-May 1), UNLV (May 13-15) and BYU (May 19-21).
Air Force also has a non-conference series at Sacramento State from March 15-17. The Falcons also play four Tuesday games with Northern Colorado. Air Force hosts UNC on April 5 and 19 and travels to Greeley on April 12 and 26.
The Falcons will also be looking to gain entry into the Mountain West Conference baseball Championships, May 24-28, in San Diego, Calif. The top six teams in the conference advance to the tournament.
"As always our conference schedule is very competitive and our preseason schedule is a good balance of teams from all over the country," Kazlausky said. "We are working everyday to assure that we are prepared to play a great style of baseball."
