FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
Hempstead, NY – Ten games against teams that qualified for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, including five games against teams that advanced to NCAA Super Regionals, highlight the 2013 Hofstra Pride baseball schedule that was announced today by Head Coach John Russo.
The Pride will face 2012 NCAA Tournament participants Oklahoma, St. John’s, Manhattan and UNC Wilmington in 2013. The Sooners and Red Storm each advanced to NCAA Super Regionals last season. In addition, 12 opponents on the 2013 docket won at least 25 games in 2012 and eight posted 30 or more win.
“I am really excited about our 2013 schedule,” said Russo. “We play some very good teams right out of the gate. But I feel that we are a good team with a great deal of experience and we need to be tested early in order to prepare for an always-challenging league schedule. Having 10 games against NCAA Tournament teams is great because that is what we aspire to be, so playing teams of that caliber will only make us better in the long run.”
The Pride, which posted a school record 34 wins in 2012 (34-22), open the 2013 slate in Norman, OK, on February 15 for a four-game set with Oklahoma. The Sooners went 42-25 in 2012, winning the Charlottesville (VA) Regional before falling to eventual College World Series runner-up South Carolina in a Super Regional. Oklahoma would finish the 2012 campaign ranked 13th in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Following the Oklahoma series, Hofstra travels to Bakersfield, CA, for a four game series against Cal State Bakersfield from February 22-24. The Roadrunners won 25 games in 2012 and will begin their first season in the Western Athletic Conference in 2013.
A meeting with local foe St. Johns will take place in Queens on March 12. The Big East champion Red Storm posted a 40-23 mark in 2012, winning the Chapel Hill (NC) Regional before falling to eventual College World Series Champion Arizona in a Super Regional. St. John’s was ranked 15th in the nation in the final Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll.
Hofstra’s other non-conference NCAA Tournament opponent is the Jaspers of Manhattan College, who finished 33-27 last season and won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Pride will host the Jaspers on April 2 and then travel to the Bronx for a second game on April 16.
The Pride will also have non-conference road trips to Western Carolina (March 2-3) and Rhode Island (April 22-23) and will also travel to Fordham (March 20), New York Tech (March 27) and Albany (May 8) for single games.
Hofstra is scheduled for its home opener on February 27 versus Post University. The Pride will also host Albany (March 6), New York Tech (April 3), LIU-Brooklyn (April 24) and Rutgers (April 30) in non-conference contests.
Hofstra will travel to James Madison (March 8-10) to open Colonial Athletic Association play and will also play on the road at Northeastern (April 5-7), William & Mary (May 3-5) and Georgia State (May 10-12) in conference action. The Pride host Towson (March 15-17), George Mason (March 29-31), Old Dominion (April 12-14) and Delaware (April 19-21) before closing out the season with a three-game home series against defending CAA champion and NCAA Regional participant UNC Wilmington (May 17-18). The Seahawks were 39-23 last season.
Hofstra is scheduled for 21 games at University Field in 2013. The Pride posted a 15-4 record at home in 2012.
