FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball head coach Will Gardner has announced the 2012 schedule. The Hawks are set to play 53 games, including a conference slate in the newly formed MEAC Northern Division.
UMES will play 23 games at Hawks Stadium this season, including half of the conference schedule. With the MEAC North, the Hawks will play eight conference series combined against Delaware State, Coppin State and Norfolk State.
The season begins with a three-game away series at Gardner-Webb, with the first contest on Friday, February 17th and running through February 19th.
After a mid-week matchup against Navy in Annapolis on February 22nd, the Hawks will compete in the Bulldog Classic in Huntsville, Alabama from February 24th through the 26th. The team will face tournament-host Alabama A&M on Friday at 3:00 p.m., followed by Western Illinois at noon on Saturday and Indiana State on Sunday at noon.
The Hawks open at home with Lehigh on February 29th with a doubleheader at noon. Attendance to these games and the rest of the home slate is free.
UMES will play their first home weekend series on Saturday, March 3rd and Sunday, March 4th with a pair of noon doubleheaders against Cornell.
The Maroon and Grey head to Philadelphia the weekend of March 9th-11th for a trio of games. On Friday, the Hawks face Villanova followed by Temple on Saturday and St. Joseph’s that Sunday to finish the weekend.
Mount St. Mary’s comes to Princess Anne on Tuesday, March 13th for a doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Conference play begins on Saturday, March 17th as the Hawks head south to take on Norfolk State for a three-game set, beginning with a doubleheader followed by a single game on Sunday.
The team heads to North Carolina for a pair of mid-week games, starting with Elizabeth City State on Tuesday, March 20th at 1:00 p.m. The following day, UMES plays a non-conference game against North Carolina Central in Durham.
UMES returns to Princess Anne for the first home conference series, taking on rival Delaware State. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 24th at noon followed by a 12:00 p.m. game on Sunday.
After a 3:00 p.m. home rematch with Mount St. Mary’s on Wednesday, March 28th, the Hawks head across the Bay Bridge to take on MEAC opponent Coppin State with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 31st then a single game on Sunday, April 1st.
The road schedule continues with a 7:00 p.m. game on Tuesday, April 3rd in Williamsburg, Virginia as the Hawks take on William & Mary.
The Maroon and Grey stay at home the next two weeks, including a pair of conference series. Coppin State comes to Hawks Stadium for a 3:00 p.m. game on Friday, April 6th followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.
The following weekend, coach Gardner’s team hosts Norfolk State for a trio of games. The Saturday, April 14th doubleheader begins at noon with the series finishing on Sunday, April 15th also at noon.
The homestand finishes up with a single game against Navy on Tuesday, April 17th at 3:00 p.m.
UMES heads up Route 13 to rematch against Delaware State for a three-game set. The Hawks and Hornets will play a Sunday doubleheader on April 22nd followed by a single Monday, April 23rd contest.
The next Tuesday, April 24th, UMES will play George Washington for the first time in Arlington, Virginia, with first pitch set for 3:00 p.m.
Returning to Virginia, the Hawks will play a non-conference weekend series against Longwood in Farmville, beginning with a Friday, April 27th matchup at 3:00 p.m. The two sides will follow with a doubleheader at noon on Saturday, April 28th.
After a 3:00 p.m. mid-week contest at home on Tuesday, May 1st against George Washington, UMES will play its final road MEAC series, heading back south to take on Norfolk State for two games on Saturday, May 5th and a single contest on Sunday, May 6th.
The mid-week slate finishes on Tuesday, May 8th with a 3:30 p.m. game against Towson on the road.
The regular season wraps up with a home conference three-game set against Delaware State. Hawks Stadium hosts a doubleheader on Saturday, May 12th at noon will the final contest on Sunday, May 13th, also at noon.
The MEAC Tournament will begin on Wednesday, May 17th and run through Saturday, May 20th in Norfolk, Virginia. Last season the Hawks were the five-seed and earned their first victory in the tournament since 2007 with an 11-6 victory over Florida A&M.
