FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas baseball is scheduled to play 28 home games and travel to conference newcomers TCU (March 15-17) and West Virginia (April 27-29) highlighting the 2013 schedule, which the team released Wednesday.
The Jayhawks will play 14 games against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season, including nine against teams that advanced to the NCAA Super Regional round. KU will also play 27 games against teams that finished the 2012 season with an RPI in the Top 100.
“For the first time in my tenure at KU we will play 28 home games. I know our players are really excited to play that many games at Hoglund Ballpark in front of our great fans,” Kansas Head Coach Ritch Price said. “We’re rolling the dice with the weather, but our new AstroTurf playing surface gives us a great chance of overcoming the early season weather.”
KU opens the season on Feb. 15 with a four-game series against Nevada at Hohokam Park in Mesa, Ariz., the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs. The Jayhawks then return home to open a 13-game home stand against non-conference competition. The home stand is highlighted by the Millard Management Jayhawk Classic (March 1-3), which includes Eastern Michigan and Iowa and a .
The Jayhawks’ first true road game will also be their conference opener when they travel to TCU (March 15-17). KU will play road Big 12 series at TCU, Oklahoma (March 28-30), Texas Tech (April 19-21) and West Virginia (April 26-28).
KU’s first Big 12 series at home will match it up with Oklahoma State (April 5-7). The Jayhawks also host Texas (April 12-14), Baylor (May 3-5) and Kansas State (May 10-12) in three-game conference sets.
Other highlights to the non-conference schedule include a four-game series at BYU (March 20-23), home-and-home series with Missouri State, Creighton and Wichita State as well as an April 23 home game against Oral Roberts. The Jayhawks conclude the regular season with a three-game series at Utah (May 18-20).
The Big 12 Baseball Championship is scheduled to begin May 22 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Okla. Once again this year, the tournament will utilize a double-elimination format with the champion earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“We finished the 2012 season on a high note, with a Big 12 series win over Missouri and victories over Texas and Texas A&M at the Big 12 tournament,” Price said. “With our entire weekend rotation back as well as seven starting position players, we are excited to about the upcoming season!”
