FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The 2012 USC Upstate Baseball schedule released today by head coach Matt Fincher features 10 games against 2011 NCAA Tournament participants and 11 others against squads that won 34 or more games a season ago.
The Spartans open the season with an 11-game homestand, beginning with Eastern Michigan on Feb. 17. Upstate will also host Ball State and Kentucky during opening weekend.
After a mid-week tilt against Furman (Feb. 22), the Spartans welcome the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky to Harley Park for a three-game series (Feb. 24-26). The squad will close out the homestand with Georgia State (Feb. 29), Albany (Mar. 3), Air Force (Mar. 4) and Valparaiso (Mar. 5).
The Spartans hit the road for the first time when they travel to Charleston, S.C, to face The Citadel (Mar. 6) and Charleston Southern (Mar. 7). After mid-week tilts at Charlotte (Mar. 13) and Furman (Mar. 14), the Spartans will open Atlantic Sun play at home as they welcome Lipscomb to Harley Park (Mar. 16-18).
The Spartans, after games against North Carolina A&T (Mar. 20) and Gardner-Webb (Mar. 21), will finally leave the Carolinas when they travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for a three-game conference set at North Florida (Mar. 23-25). After returning from the River City, the Spartans begin a six-game home stand as Charlotte (Mar. 27), Gardner-Webb (Mar. 28), Florida Gulf Coast (Mar. 30-Apr. 1) and Davidson (Apr. 3) pay a visit to Harley Park.
Eight of the next nine contests for Upstate will be on the road, including a pair of conference series in the state of Tennessee. The Spartans will travel to Nashville, Tenn., for an A-Sun series at Belmont (Apr. 5-7) before returning home to face Charleston Southern (Apr. 10). Upstate will face Wofford (Apr. 11) before returning to Tennessee to face ETSU (Apr. 13-15).
After a road game at North Carolina A&T (Apr. 17), the Spartans play four home games before breaking for exams. Upstate will host Wofford on Apr. 18 before welcoming Jacksonville to Harley Park for the three-game set (Apr. 20-22).
Upstate will close the regular season with 13 games in 17 days beginning with a trip to Georgia State on May 2. The Spartans will then travel to DeLand, Fla., for a conference series at Stetson (May 4-6).
The Spartans will then host The Citadel in the final non-conference home game of the season on May 10, before traveling to Davidson a day later. The squad will close out the home slate against Kennesaw State (May 11-13).
After a mid-week contest at South Carolina (May 15), the Spartans close out the regular-season on the road at Mercer (May 17-19). The 2011 A-Sun Baseball Championship will take place in DeLand, Fla., and the four-day event runs from May 23-26.
Full 2012 USC-Upstate Schedule
