FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
WILMINGTON, North Carolina – UNCW head baseball coach Mark Scalf has announced the release of the Seahawks’ 2012 schedule, one that features 16 games against teams that reached the postseason in 2011 and includes road series at Southeastern Conference and Mountain West powers Mississippi and TCU, respectively.
“We’re excited with the players we’re returning and the players who are joining the program,” said Scalf, who enters his 21st season. “This is a tough, challenging schedule that will demand the best from us, both on and off the field.”
The Seahawks open the season by playing host to Ohio in a three-game series, beginning on Feb. 17, before heading to Oxford, Miss., the following weekend for a three-game set against the Ole Miss Rebels. UNCW then visits Ft. Worth, Texas, for an Easter weekend series against the TCU Horned Frogs. TCU was the No. 1 seed in the Ft. Worth Regional last season and advanced to the College World Series in 2010.
UNCW will again stage the Hughes Bros. Challenge, with Monmouth, UNC Asheville and NC State. That round-robin weekend takes place March 2-4. The Seahawks will actually play NC State twice in a home-and-home series along with a game in the round robin.
Home-and-home series with perennial powers Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Elon and the College of Charleston are also on tap in 2012.
The Seahawks visit UNC Chapel Hill, a College World Series participant and top-ranked RPI team in 2011, on May 8.
In Colonial Athletic Association play, the league will again tackle a full round robin slate with 30 conference games. The Seahawks open the league portion of their schedule with defending champion James Madison, Mar. 9-11, at Brooks Field. Other home conference opponents include conference finalist Old Dominion (Mar. 30-Apr. 1), Hofstra (Apr. 13-15), Towson (May 4-6) and George Mason (May 17-19). On the road, the Seahawks take on Delaware (Mar. 16-18), VCU (Mar. 23-25), Northeastern (Apr. 21-22), Georgia State (Apr. 27-29) and William & Mary (May 10-12).
The site of the CAA Tournament will be announced later this fall.
Notes: UNCW will play 16 games against seven teams that played in the NCAA tournament last spring … Ohio, Monmouth, UNC Asheville, St. John’s and Charleston Southern return to the schedule … The schedule features five teams that won their conference’s regular season title (Monmouth (NEC), Coastal Carolina (Big South), Elon (SoCon), TCU (Mountain West), James Madison (CAA) … 2010 Final Non-conference RPI: North Carolina (1), TCU (21), East Carolina (29), NC State (36), Ole Miss (42), Coastal Carolina (44), Elon (47), St. John’s (52), Coll. of Charleston (63), Monmouth (117), Charleston Southern (136), Ohio (227) , UNCA (246).
