FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
EVANSTON, Ill. – Home series against Nebraska, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana as well as a contest at Miller Park in Milwaukee highlight the 2012 Northwestern baseball schedule announced today (Dec. 5).
The Wildcats open their slate Feb. 17-19 as they take part in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, Fla., facing West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Seton Hall. NU ventures to the west coast the following weekend as it travels to Cal State Northridge for four games.
Northwestern returns to Florida March 2-4 to participate in the Snowbird Classic, taking on Western Michigan, Xavier, Villanova and Chicago State. The Wildcats return to Chicagoland March 8-10 as it makes the short trip south to UIC for a three-game series.
A third Florida trip is on tap for the next weekend as the ‘Cats make their usual spring break trek to Winter Haven, squaring off against Eastern Illinois, Bucknell, Navy, Long Island, Jacksonville State and Nebraska-Omaha.
The addition of Nebraska to the Big Ten moves up the start of conference play a week earlier than in the past with Northwestern traveling to Iowa for the opening weekend of play March 23-25.
The Wildcats host league series each of the next two weeks with the Huskers making their first trip to Evanston March 30-April 1 before Purdue comes to Rocky Miller Park the following weekend.
NU is back on the road each of the next two weeks as it travels to Minnesota and Michigan. In-state rival Illinois comes to Evanston April 27-29 before the Wildcats play their first of two neutral site mid-week games, facing Northern Illinois in Geneva, Ill., at Elfstrom Stadium, the home of the Kane County Cougars.
Northwestern’s final Big Ten weekend road series has them traveling to Columbus to face Ohio State May 4-6. The Wildcats will then head to Miller Park for the second time in three years to face Milwaukee May 9 following a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds.
NU concludes its Big Ten season May 11-13, hosting Indiana. The addition of Nebraska has also meant that each conference squad will have a built-in bye weekend. Northwestern’s falls on the final weekend of the season and the Wildcats will square off against Saint Louis in a three-game series at Rocky Miller Park.
The ‘Cats are slated to host a total of 21 home games during the 2012 season, including mid-week contests against St. Xavier (April 10), Milwaukee (April 17), Chicago State (April 24), North Central (April 25), Oakland (May 2) and Chicago (May 8).
This season’s Big Ten tournament is slated to be held May 23-27 at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio.
