Big East Baseball to Begin

[Brad]

NEW ERA OF BIG EAST BASEBALL SET TO BEGIN

Three teams start season today

Feb. 10, 2006

Providence, R.I. - A new era of BIG EAST baseball is set to begin as Cincinnati, Seton Hall and USF open their regular season non-conference schedules on Feb. 10. Cincinnati, which is one of three new members to the league, will highlight the day's slate with a match-up against top-ranked and reigning national runner-up Florida.

The Bearcats, Louisville and USF were officially welcomed to the 12-member baseball league on July 1, 2005.

Cincinnati is set to begin a three-game series against the Gators, who are listed at No. 1 in the most recent Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America national polls. The Bearcats finished the 2005 season with a 25-30 overall record. The first game of the series will start at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday.

Seton Hall (17-35, 8-17 BIG EAST in 2005) will play in the first game of the BIG EAST season at Duke beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. The Pirates will bank on the arm of returning All-BIG EAST Second Team performer and preseason all-conference selection Dan McDonald in its season opener. The sophomore righthander led the team in wins with five and held opponents to a staff-best .258 batting average last season.

While all other BIG EAST teams will open their season on the road, the USF Bulls (33-31 overall in 2005), will start with four straight home games in Tampa, including three straight against Northwestern from Feb. 10-12. Junior righthander Casey Hudspeth, an All-BIG EAST Preseason Team member, will be the anchor of the Bulls' staff and is listed as a probable starter for the 2006 opener.

Notre Dame (38-24-1, 14-9-1 BIG EAST in 2005), the reigning BIG EAST Tournament champion and preseason favorite to capture the 2006 BIG EAST title according to the league's head coaches, will begin its season on Feb. 23 against Indiana State in Millington, Tenn. as part of the Service Academies Classic. The Fighting Irish and St. John's (41-19, 19-4 BIG EAST in 2005), which begins its 2006 season at Texas Tech on Feb. 17, both qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2005.

 

Conference action will open on March 17 when Seton Hall hosts Pittsburgh at 3:00 p.m. ET.

The 2006 BIG EAST Baseball Championship will be held at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater, Fla. from May 23-28.

 

Link to Big East site

[smazza]

exciting times at usf

[TyBull]

Yeah "exciting times" for USF baseball... We are now 2-4....wow