FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
San Marcos, Texas – The Texas State Athletic Department released the 2012 baseball schedule on Wednesday, revealing a 54 game slate that features 25 games at Bobcat Ballpark, 28 away games and one neutral site contest. Two tournaments at Bobcat Ballpark are also on the Bobcats’ slate, one to begin the season and the Southland Conference Tournament at the end of the season.
As has become expected, the Bobcats will play a very competitive schedule that features five NCAA Regional qualifiers from 2011, two of which went on to the College World Series. Included on the 2012 docket will be games against in-state opponents such as Baylor, Houston, Rice, TCU, Texas and Texas A&M. The Bobcats will also welcome several high-caliber out-of-state opponents to San Marcos, including Louisiana-Lafayette, Notre Dame, Oregon, Santa Clara and Wichita State.
“It is what a traditional Texas State schedule has been,” said head coach Ty Harrington. “It’s very challenging. If you truly want to be somebody, then you have to play those kinds of teams. Our university and the people associated with Texas State identify baseball with playing these types of opponents.”
One highlight of the 2012 schedule is the Bobcat Invitational which Texas State will host to begin the season on February 17-19. The four-team, three-day tournament features Bobcat games against Santa Clara, Wichita State and Louisiana-Lafayette.
“Coach [Jeremy] Fikac has done a great job of bringing recognizable names to our home tournament,” Harrington said. “Wichita State is a former national champion. Louisiana-Lafayette has been an NCAA and College World Series qualifier, too. I think that the excitement level for this tournament will be high much like it was for last years.”
Following their home tournament, the Bobcats will play their one neutral site game of the season – a February 22 contest against Baylor at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
“This is halfway between San Marcos and Waco. I think we’ll have a great crowd,” Harrington said. “I think a lot of Texas State and Baylor people will want to be there. It’s a pro park and such a beautiful venue to play in, so we’re really excited about it.”
The Bobcats’ first true road game will come on February 24 when the team visits Houston for a three-game series against the Cougars. The team will then head up to Fort Worth for a midweek matchup on February 28 versus TCU.
Texas State will play its first of 19 games in March when the team plays host to Notre Dame at Bobcat Ballpark for a three-game series March 2-4. The Bobcats then have a midweek game against Rice on March 6.
The Bobcats final season of Southland Conference action begins on March 9 when the team heads to UT Arlington for a three-game series. From that point through the end of the season, Texas State will play three-game weekend series against the other 11 Southland teams, culminating in a three-game series on the road against Northwestern State.
Texas State’s midweek schedule features a game at Texas on March 13, a home game against TCU on March 20 and two home contests against Oregon on March 27-28.
“Everybody recognizes Notre Dame and Oregon,” Harrington said. “Oregon was in the top-20 this past year, and Notre Dame has a successful history and a good coach. It’s exciting to have teams like that coming into San Marcos.”
Texas State will be on the road for nine straight games in April, beginning with an April 3 game at Baylor and wrapping up with a game on April 17 at Texas. The team will return to San Marcos for nine of its next 13 games beginning on April 20 with a three-game set against Central Arkansas. During that stretch, the team will take on Baylor on May 9 at Bobcat Ballpark before playing UTSA at home on May 11 and 13 sandwiched around a game at UTSA on May 12.
The Bobcats final midweek game of the season will be at Texas A&M on May 15 before the team concludes its regular season versus Northwestern State on May 17-19.
For the second straight season, Texas State will be hosting the Southland Conference Tournament at Bobcat Ballpark. The eight-team, double-elimination tournament will begin on May 23 and go through May 26 with the winning team receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional.
2012 Texas State Baseball Schedule
