FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
CLARKSVILLE -Austin Peay State University’s baseball team, the defending Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament champions, announced its 2012 schedule, Thursday. The 56-game slate is highlighted by a 28-game home schedule and road contests at Ohio State and Tennessee.
The Governors will play 28 games at Raymond C. Hand Park, including a regular-season opening series against Illinois State, Feb. 17-19. Austin Peay also will host two tournaments in the season’s first four weeks. The Riverview Inn Classic, March 2-4, will feature the Govs, Akron, Iowa and Youngstown State in a round-robin format. One week later Austin Peay will host the Riverview Inn Challenge and meet Arkansas State, Dayton and Northern Illinois in a second round-robin series.
The Govs will make two weekend road trips prior to the start of OVC play. Austin Peay will play three-game series at Georgia State, Feb. 24-26, and Ohio State, March 16-18, to prepare for the OVC schedule.
The biggest change to the schedule will be the now 27-game OVC slate which will feature a Friday-Saturday-Sunday format for the first time in league history. Austin Peay fans will have the opportunity to see UT Martin (March 30-April 1), Murray State (April 13-15), Jacksonville State (April 27-29) and Morehead State (May 11-13) in three-game series at The Hand. The Govs will travel to Southeast Missouri, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, SIU Edwardsville – which competes in OVC regular-season action for the first time – and Tennessee Tech for league matchups in 2012.
Austin Peay’s mid-week outings again will feature a mix of teams from the Mid-South. The Govs kickoff their midweek outings with a Feb. 22 visit to Memphis. Austin Peay also will return to Knoxville to meet Tennessee, April 24. In addition, Austin Peay will play home-and-home mid-week outings against 2011 NCAA participant Belmont as well as Evansville, Lipscomb, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky.
The 2012 OVC Baseball Championship returns to Jackson’s Pringles Park for a third season, May 23-27. The winner of the OVC crown will advance to NCAA Baseball Championship regional play, June 1-4, with those winners advancing to NCAA Super Regional play, June 8-11.
The NCAA College World Series returns to Ameritrade Stadium in Omaha, Neb., June 15-26.
Austin Peay returns all eight position players and its designated hitter from last season’s team that reached the NCAA Baseball Tournament last season – its fourth appearance since 2000. The Govs did lose two weekend starters and a closer from last season’s pitching staff but return No. 3 starter Zach Toney and add a talented group of newcomers on the mound.
For the most current information on Austin Peay athletics visit LetsGoPeay.com or follow @LetsGoPeay on Twitter.
Full 2012 Austin Peay Schedule
