FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
PARK RIDGE, Ill. – The Big East and Big Ten conferences, in conjunction with the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, today released the schedule for the fourth annual Big Ten/Big East Baseball Challenge. The 2012 Challenge will feature 10 teams from the Big Ten and nine teams from the Big East playing 30 games over three days to open the college baseball season from Feb. 17-19.
The 2012 Challenge will feature Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue from the Big Ten and Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall, South Florida and West Virginia from the Big East. The event will be played at current and former Major League facilities in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, including Bright House Field and Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, the respective spring homes of the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays. Games will also be played at Clearwater’s Jack Russell Memorial Stadium and St. Petersburg’s Al Lang Stadium and Walter Fuller Baseball Complex.
The 2012 Challenge will feature tripleheaders at Al Lang and Jack Russell on Friday and Saturday and doubleheaders on Sunday. Friday features an evening doubleheader at Florida Auto Exchange, while Bright House will host a twin bill on Saturday night. The Challenge also includes 10 games at Walter Fuller with doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday and six games on Sunday.
The Big Ten won the inaugural Challenge in 2009, 15-9, while the Big East was victorious in 2010, 17-13, and in 2011, 14-10.
Ticket information for the 2012 Challenge will be released at a later date.
For more information, visit www.bigtenbigeastbaseballchallenge.com.
The complete schedule can be found below.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012
10 a.m. West Virginia at Northwestern Al Lang Stadium
Louisville at Minnesota Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
South Florida at Ohio State Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
1 p.m. Pittsburgh at Iowa Al Lang Stadium
Cincinnati at Purdue Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Notre Dame at Illinois Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
4 p.m. Connecticut at Indiana Al Lang Stadium
St. John’s at Michigan State Florida Auto Exchange Stadium
Seton Hall at Penn State Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Michigan Florida Auto Exchange Stadium
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2012
10 a.m. Indiana at Cincinnati Al Lang Stadium
Notre Dame at Iowa Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Connecticut at Purdue Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
1 p.m. Seton Hall at Michigan Al Lang Stadium
Michigan State at South Florida Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Minnesota at St. John’s Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
4 p.m. Louisville at Illinois Al Lang Stadium
West Virginia at Penn State Bright House Field
Northwestern at Pittsburgh Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
7:30 p.m. Ohio State at Seton Hall Bright House Field
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2012
10 a.m. Purdue at Notre Dame Al Lang Stadium
Illinois at St. John’s Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Michigan at West Virginia Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
Penn State at Cincinnati Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
Michigan State at Louisville Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
1 p.m. Minnesota at South Florida Al Lang Stadium
Ohio State at Connecticut Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Iowa at West Virginia Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
Indiana at Pittsburgh Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
Northwestern at Seton Hall Walter Fuller Baseball Complex
