FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University’s baseball team will play 31 games at Raymond C. Hand Park as part of its 2014 schedule, head coach Gary McClure announced Wednesday.
Austin Peay begins 2014 with 17 of its first 20 games at Raymond C. Hand Park, including the season-opening series against Iowa, Feb. 14-16. It is the second consecutive season the Hawkeyes have visited Clarksville to start a campaign.
After hosting Southern Illinois in a midweek affair, the Govs second weekend will take them to Texas where they will face Big 12 foe Baylor in a three-game weekend set, Feb. 21-23. It will be Austin Peay’s first trip to the Lone Star State since opening the 2009 slate at Lamar.
“It was important to get a good road test in early in the year,” said McClure. “I believe our non-conference schedule will prepare us for conference play. However, the trip to Baylor will give our team a good taste of what playing on the road will involve early in the year.”
Austin Peay returns to Clarksville for the next 13 games. A midweek pair against Eastern Michigan follows the Baylor trip and precedes the team’s annual Riverview Inn Classic. This season the Govs will host Bradley, Dayton and Xavier in the round-robin tournament, Feb. 28-March 2. Austin Peay then hosts Evansville in a midweek affair before a three-game set with Akron. The Govs wrap up their pre-conference slate with a midweek contest against Lipscomb.
The 30-game Ohio Valley Conference schedule opens with the Govs hosting Eastern Illinois, March 14-16. Austin Peay will host the Panthers along with Murray State (March 28-30), Southeast Missouri (April 11-13), Eastern Kentucky (April 25-27) and UT Martin (May 9-11).
The Govs road conference schedule begins the following weekend when they travel to Jacksonville State, March 21-23. The Govs also will travel to Tennessee Tech (April 4-6), Belmont (April 17-19), Morehead State (May 2-4) and SIU Edwardsville (May 15-17) during the conference schedule.
“Our conference schedule is always a test,” said McClure. “It is probably more difficult this year with trips to Jacksonville, Cookeville and Nashville which are always tough places to play. Still, we will have to be ready to play all 10 weekends once we get to conference action.”
The remainder of the Govs non-conference slate is highlighted by a March 18 contest at Tennessee and an April 9 outing against Memphis at USA Stadium in Millington. The Govs also face Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee in home-and-home series as well as a trip to Indiana State.
The 2014 OVC Baseball Championship returns to The Ballpark at Jackson in Jackson, Tenn., May 21-25. NCAA Tournament play begins the following weekend with campus sites hosting regional competition, May 30-June 2.
