FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
CONWAY – Gary Gilmore, who is in his 17th year as Coastal Carolina head coach, announced the Chanticleer 2012 baseball schedule Friday. The slate features five home tournaments, 23 straight home games from opening day (Feb. 17) until March 25 and non-conference road trips to North Carolina, The Citadel, UNC Wilmington, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Michigan and College of Charleston.
Overall, Coastal’s schedule features two College World Series participants from 2011 (semifinalist Virginia and North Carolina) and six teams, not including Coastal Carolina, that played in an NCAA Regional last spring (James Madison, St. John’s, Illinois, North Carolina State, Connecticut and Clemson).
“This schedule, especially our non-conference portion, may be the best we have put together in my time here,” Gilmore said. “This is a testament to our program and what we can offer for other teams to come here and play. We will face some of the best programs in the country. We will have a tough challenge ahead of us, but also know it will be a great opportunity in helping us reach our ultimate goal; going to Omaha.”
The Chants will open 2012 hosting perennial powerhouse Virginia, James Madison and Boston College in the Caravelle Resort Tournament Feb. 17-19. The following weekend, Feb. 24-26, will be the 13th Annual Baseball at the Beach, played at BB&T Coastal Field in Myrtle Beach. The 2012 field includes Virginia Tech, West Virginia, North Carolina State, George Mason and Iowa.
Coastal will open March with three weekends of home tournaments. From March 2-4, Coastal will welcome St. John’s, Pittsburgh and Illinois. Following a mid-week home game with UNC Wilmington (March 7), the Chants will host Marist, Ohio State and Toledo from March 9-11. A home game with College of Charleston (March 14) will be followed by the final weekend tournament, March 16-19, with Connecticut, UAB and Michigan coming to town.
After a weekend series with Albany March 23-25, the Chanticleers will play their first road game, traveling to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina on March 27 and staying on the road until April 10. From April 11-22, Coastal will play seven of its next eight at home, including games versus The Citadel, VMI for its first home conference series and High Point.
Coastal will close the season with four games in Charleston, including a Tuesday meeting with College of Charleston (May 15) and a Thursday-Saturday series with conference foe Charleston Southern (May 17-19).
The 2012 Big South Baseball Tournament will be played May 22-26 at High Point.
Full 2012 Coastal Carolina Schedule
