FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
The Golden Flashes look to continue their success from a record-breaking 2012 campaign as they face a similar schedule in 2013. The 57-game lineup includes an opening weekend against fellow NCAA Tournament qualifier UNC Wilmington and takes the Flashes to nine different states throughout the season. Kent State will play in front of a home crowd 18 times while playing 39 road games.
The season will begin in warmer climates as the Golden Flashes travel first to Wilimington, NC, for games against UNC Wilmington and Virginia Tech (Feb. 15-17). The following weekend will be the longest trip as Kent State faces the University of San Diego for four games (Feb. 22-24). Trips to Louisville University (Mar 1-3), the University of Charlotte (Mar. 8-10) and Memphis University (Mar. 15-17) round out the early spring road trips.
Kent State’s first home game will be on Wednesday, March 20, as they host the Pittsburgh Panthers at 3:00pm. They also play non-conference games at home against Penn State April 3 at 4:00pm, Niagara April 16-17 and Youngstown State April 23 at 5:00pm. Non-conference road games include Notre Dame (Mar. 25-26), Penn State (April 9), Youngstown State (May 1) and Pittsburgh (May 14).
Similar to last year’s schedule are non-conference games against conference opponents. The Flashes will play Toledo on the road (Apr. 2) and at home (Apr. 10). They play Eastern Michigan in a 5:00pm contest at all Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio (Apr. 30).
The Golden Flashes begin to work towards their third-consecutive Mid-American Conference championship on the road at Northern Illinois March 22-24. They then face Ball State (Mar. 29-31) and Ohio University (Apr. 5-7) at home. Those Friday games are slated to begin at 4:00pm and the Saturday and Sunday games at 1:00pm. They also host Bowling Green (Apr. 26-28) and Central Michigan (May 3-5) at Olga A. Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium. The April 26 and May 3 games will begin at 6:00pm with the rest of the games starting at 1:00pm. MAC road-contests are scheduled for Miami (Apr. 12-14), Buffalo (Apr. 19-21) and Western Michigan (May 10-12). Kent State finishes MAC play against rival Akron, beginning with the Sixth Annual Diamond Classic for Kids at Canal Park in Akron on May 16 at 6:30pm, a contest that benefits Akron Children’s Hospital.
The MAC Tournament is slated for May 22-26 at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio. Kent State has won the last four tournament championships and six and in the last ten years. The winner of the MAC Tournament receives an automatic bid to NCAA Regionals scheduled for June 1-4. Regional winners then advance on to NCAA Super Regionals June 8-11. The College World Series will be held June 15-26 in Omaha, Neb.
The 2012 squad ended the season with a record 47 wins and the school’s first ever College World Series appearance. They won four straight in the MAC Tournament to earn an NCAA automatic bid, then went on to win four more consecutive games in the Gary Regional. Kent State won two-out-of-three games at the Eugene Super Regional to advance to Omaha, where they beat a number-one ranked Florida in an elimination game. Their historic 2012 season ended with a loss to reigning NCAA Champion, South Carolina.
