FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
For the first time since the 1972 season, the Pacific baseball team has a new home as the Tigers take their show to the West Coast Conference after 41 years playing in the Big West. With its new conference comes new opponents and new rivalries with all the action beginning on Feb. 14, 2014 as the Tigers have released their 2014 Schedule.
For Pacific, the new year will feature 25 home games at Klein Family Field including 15 WCC contests. However, before the Tigers can play at home Pacific will head to Tempe, Ariz. to open the 2014 season at the Husker Invitational. Hosted by Nebraska in the home of MLB spring training, the Tigers will play four games over four days to open the season beginning with the Huskers on the 14th. Pacific caps the weekend with a pair of contests against Pac-12 power Oregon State.
With the opening tournament behind them, the Tigers come home to Klein Family Field for the first time on Feb. 19th to take on San Jose State at 6:00 pm. The Wednesday night contest is the first of seven midweek night games at home for the Tigers throughout the year. After a return game at San Jose State on the 26th, Pacific plays its first home weekend series against Utah Valley from Feb. 28 – Mar. 2 before taking on Nevada on Tuesday, Mar. 4. In edition to San Jose State, the Tigers have some high-profile midweek contests throughout the year including a home (Apr. 29)/away (May 20) matchup against Stanford as well as a home game against Fresno State (Apr. 15) and on the road at Oregon (May 14).
After some final preconference tuneups on the road, the Tigers head into WCC play on Mar. 14-16 as Pacific goes to Malibu, Calif. to take on Pepperdine in its first-ever WCC series. Pacific plays its first WCC series at home one week later when the Tigers host Gonzaga from Mar. 21-23. The Bulldogs enter as the reigning WCC regular season champs after posting an 18-6 conference record last season in 2013.
All of the WCC action throughout the year is in preparation for the conference championship tournament as the top four teams meet in Stockton, Calif. from May 21-23 to hash out the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Played in Pacific’s backyard at Banner Island Ballpark, the Tigers will look to make their mark in their new league and make their first trip to the NCAA tournament in 2014.
