FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University is scheduled to play nine baseball games against teams that advanced to the 2013 NCAA Tournament, head coach Jason Stein announced today with the release of the complete 2014 schedule.
Those NCAA Tournament teams are Louisville, South Carolina, East Tennessee and Austin Peay. Louisville advanced all the way to the College World Series. South Carolina, the 2010 and 2011 NCAA Champions and 2012 runner up, advanced to a super regional in 2013.
The Colonels open the season with three games at Alabama State beginning Feb. 14. EKU will then play at Louisville on Feb. 19. A three-game series at South Carolina is scheduled for Feb. 21-23.
Eastern is scheduled to play 21 games against teams that posted a winning record in 2013.
“We believe that a tough non-conference schedule not only helps us compete for an Ohio Valley Conference championship, but it also gives our fall practices and all our preseason activities a sense of urgency,” Stein said. “Our practices, our scrimmages, our strength and conditioning are all better because of this schedule.”
The OVC slate begins with three games at Tennessee Tech on March 7-9. The Colonels’ first home games will be March 11-12 against Youngstown State. The first home OVC series will be against Southeast Missouri March 14-16.
EKU will also play home conference series against Morehead State, Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois and Murray State. Eastern will face TTU, Belmont, Tennessee-Martin, Austin Peay and Jacksonville State on the road.
“Our philosophy is to schedule tough,” Stein said. “We think this year’s schedule is daunting, and will prepare our players for a tough OVC slate and a run at an OVC title.”
The 2014 regular season concludes with a three-game series against Murray State on May 15-17. The OVC Tournament is scheduled for May 21-25 in Jackson, Tenn. The NCAA regionals begin on May 30.
The Colonels finished the 2013 season with a 23-34 record, but went 16-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Despite entering the OVC Tournament as the No. 5 seed, Eastern advanced to the championship round with three wins, including a 6-4 victory over No. 1 seed Tennessee Tech.
