FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
CHICAGO – Head coach Mike Dee and the UIC baseball team released its 2011 schedule on Monday with trips to Texas, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, a series at home against Georgia Tech and 26 Horizon League tilts highlighting the upcoming docket.
UIC’s season begins on Friday, Feb. 18 when they head south to Edinburg, Texas for a four-game series against Texas Pan-American. The Flames and Broncs will play single games Friday and Sunday with a Saturday doubleheader sandwiched in between.
Dee’s squad will spend the next three weekends away from Chicago, as well. UIC will play three games at Kentucky, Feb. 25-27, four games at Missouri , March 4-6, and three games in Nashville against Vanderbilt, March 11-13.
The home opener at Les Miller Field will take place on Friday, March 18 at 4 p.m. when the Flames welcome Superior for a brief two-game set. UIC wraps up the four-game homestand by hosting Saint Scholastica on Sunday, March 20 and Edgewood on Tuesday, March 22 at 1 p.m.
The Flames will play Notre Dame in South Bend on Wednesday, March 23 before returning home to open the Horizon League slate against the Cleveland State Vikings on Friday, March 25 at 4 p.m. The two teams will also play a doubleheader on March 26 beginning at 12 p.m.
UIC will begin a season-long eight-game homestand when they welcome the Milwaukee Panthers, who won the Horizon League Championship last season, for a series set for Friday and Saturday, April 8-9 at Les Miller Field. Friday’s game will begin under the lights at 6:05 p.m. with a Saturday double-dip scheduled to begin at 12:05 p.m.
The Flames will play four games against the Big Ten in 2011. The Northwestern Wildcats come south from Evanston for a contest on April 12 at 7:05 p.m. UIC will make the return trip to Evanston on Tuesday, May 10. Purdue comes to The Mill on April 20 at 7:05 p.m., while UIC will visit West Lafayette near the end of the regular season on May 17.
Georgia Tech will visit Chicago for a big weekend series May 7-9. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with matinees set for Sunday (2:05 p.m.) and Monday (1:05 p.m.).The Yellow Jackets took three games from the Flames in Atlanta last season.
UIC will conclude the regular season at home with a three-game series against the Youngstown State Penguins on May 19-20.
The 2011 Horizon League Baseball Championship will get underway on Tuesday, May 24 and continue through Sunday, May 29. The defending regular season champions, Wright State, will host this year’s tournament at Nischwitz Stadium. The Flames will be seeking their fifth trip to an NCAA Regional in the last nine seasons.
2010 All-Horizon League honorees Steve McGuiggan (Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley H.S.), Matt Serna (Arlington Heights, Ill./Rolling Meadows H.S.) and Jason Ganek (Mt. Prospect, Ill./Hersey H.S.) lead a group of 16 returning letterwinners from last year’s team who will compete this spring.
