FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont baseball team will play 17 out of its first 22 games at home, opening brand new E.S. Rose Park for the 2011 season. The team’s schedule, which begins with a pair of NCAA Tournament participants from a year ago, was announced by Head Coach Dave Jarvis on Tuesday morning.
The Bruins will start the season off with a four game series against Missouri Valley Champions Illinois State from February 18-20 at Rose Park. Belmont will then travel across town to take on Vanderbilt on February 23. These first two opponents, along with Atlantic Sun Champion, make up the three NCAA Tournament teams on BU’s schedule for 2011.
Belmont will also compete against SEC member Mississippi State and Ball State of the MAC in a pair of non-conference three-game series. The Bruins will travel to Mississippi for February 25-27 contests and welcome Ball State to Nashville March 18-20.
Tennessee Tech, Middle Tennessee, Murray State, Western Kentucky, Tennessee-Martin, and Austin Peay will challenge Belmont both at home and on the road in out of conference regional action this season. In addition to the early season match-up with Vanderbilt, the Bruins will also travel to Tennessee, while hosting Purdue and Ouachita Baptist in single game competition.
“I think that our 2011 schedule is very challenging with a high level of competition that should prepare us for the difficult A-sun season,” Jarvis said. “I am excited about the teams we have coming in and the new facilities at Rose Park for the spring of 2011.”
The Atlantic Sun schedule starts March 4-6 when BU hosts defending conference champion Mercer in a three-game series. The Bruins will also welcome A-Sun foes Jacksonville, ETSU and FGCU to Nashville for series action this season. Belmont will head on the road for conference series against North Florida, USC Upstate, Campbell, Lipscomb and Stetson.
The Atlantic Sun Tournament, hosted at Lipscomb for the second straight season, will be held from May 25-28 right down the street from Belmont’s campus.
