FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State baseball team is slated for 24 games against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago in a 2011 schedule that was announced Wednesday by head coach Pat Casey said.
The 24 games are a large part of the schedule, which includes 54 games starting with Gonzaga on Feb. 19.
“I’m very excited about this schedule,” Casey said. “The Pac-10 was the best conference in baseball last season, and I have no reason to think that will be any different this season. We feel that, coupled with a great non-conference slate, gives us a great schedule this season.”
The Beavers will get their longest trip away from Goss Stadium in 2011 immediately, going on the road for eight straight games to start the season. They will open a four-game set in Fresno, Calif., against Gonzaga on Feb. 19. They’ll play both Fresno State and Gonzaga twice over three days to open the season.
Just days after leaving Fresno, the Beavers will trek to the state of Texas for three games at the Kleberg Bank College Classic in Corpus Christi where OSU will face Connecticut, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Indiana starting on Feb. 25. Before returning home, the Beavers will make a quick jaunt to San Antonio for a game against Texas-San Antonio.
The Beavers will return home to find themselves able to enjoy a nine-game homestand starting March 4 with four games against Hartford. OSU will also face Oregon, in a non-conference contest, once during the homestand before hosting four games March 11-13; two against VMI and two against an opponent to be announced.
Other non-conference series for the Beavers this season include three-game sets at Long Beach State (March 18-20) and at home against UC Santa Barbara (March 25-27).
OSU is set to play at Portland twice this season – April 5 and April 26 – and will host the Pilots on May 10. Rounding out OSU’s non-conference slate is two games against Oregon – the aforementioned game on March 8 as well one on May 3. Both will be held at Goss as the Ducks host the three conference games this season.
Oregon State opens the month of April and its conference schedule by visiting Arizona for a three-game set. Other conference games away from Corvallis include series at Stanford (April 15-17), UCLA (April 29-May 1) and Washington (May 13-15). OSU will conclude its 2011 regular season slate May 27-29 at Oregon.
The Beavers will host four Pacific-10 Conference series in 2011, the last year before the league becomes the Pacific-12 Conference. OSU takes on Arizona State April 8-10, Washington State from April 21-23, California from May 6-8 and concludes its home slate May 20-22 at home against USC.
The 54-game slate is two shy of the NCAA max of 56 games.
The 2011 postseason begins June 3 with NCAA Regionals. NCAA Super Regionals will be held June 10-13 with the College World Series being held June 18-29. It will be the first year of play at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, replacing historic Rosenblatt Stadium.
