Grueling Schedule Awaits Flashes in 2007
1/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Kent, Ohio - With an opening day of Feb. 16 creeping closer, the Kent State baseball team welcomes the many challenges its schedule will bring in 2007. The Golden Flashes will open the year with three-game sets at Wake Forest and Florida as part of their five straight weekend trips to the South.
"From a preseason perspective, this is the toughest schedule Kent State Baseball has ever had," said Head Coach Scott Stricklin. "Of our first 15 games, 11 of those games could be against teams that will be in the top 25 this season."
"We open the season against ACC and SEC teams and then play a top 25 team like Winthrop," said Stricklin. "Then take on Lousivlle and a PAC-10 team in Cal-Berkeley and then go to Southern Mississippi, which is arguably one of the toughset places to play in the country. Our first 15 games are certainly going to be a challenge and we're going to find out a lot about our team early on."
The Golden Flashes will continue to face power conference teams up North with the addidtion of Penn State to the schedule on Apr. 4. "Penn State's a good team from a good conference (Big Ten) with a brand new stadium and we hope to contine to play them in the future. There's no question those venues we went to last year helped us. If we get to a (NCAA) regional tournament, it won't be the first time our guys have experienced that type of atmosphere."
Forty of KSU's 55 games will be played in a two-month span (Mar. 20 - May 19), testing the team's endurance. "Playing five times a week puts the emphasis on pitching and that's our strength this season. Our staff is plenty deep enough to keep us in games."
In other non-conference competition, the Flashes will play both home and away contests with regional rivals Cleveland State, Youngstown State, Pittsburgh and Duquesne, who will play in KSU's home opener on Mar. 20. Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium is slated to host 22 games this season. The Flashes will also open Mid-American Conference play at Schoonover Stadium, hosting Western Michigan Mar. 22-24.
With nine three-games series making up the conference schedule, the defending MAC regular season champions can expect to have a target on their backs.
"We do have five series at home this year, but we have to go to Ball State, Central Michigan and Miami, who are arguably the three toughest opponents in the conference," said Stricklin. "Those teams are going to be ready for us."
The Flashes will also be playing a fourth (non-conference) game against the University of Akron at Canal Park on Apr. 24 with all proceeds going to charity. "It's a great rivalry game and it's going to be a fun atmosphere to play in a professional park. It's opportunity for our fans and Akron's fans to support their teams and support Children's Hospital."
"We want to keep our RPI as high as possible," Stricklin added. "We want to play good teams in good stadiums and give our kids a good experience. And we feel like we have something to prove."
2007 Schedule
Feb 16 Wake Forest at Winston-Salem, N.C. 3 p.m.
Feb 17 Wake Forest at Winston-Salem, N.C. 1 p.m.
Feb 18 Wake Forest at Winston-Salem, N.C. 1 p.m.
Feb 23 Florida at Gainesville, Fla. 6:30 p.m.
Feb 24 Florida at Gainesville, Fla. 2 p.m.
Feb 25 Florida at Gainesville, Fla. 12 p.m.
Winthrop University Invitational
Mar 2 East Tennessee State at Rock Hill, S.C. 12:30 p.m.
Mar 3 Winthrop at Rock Hill, S.C. 1 p.m.
Mar 4 Temple at Rock Hill, S.C. 11 a.m.
Louisville University Iinvitational
Mar 9 California at Louisville, Ky. 11 a.m.
Mar 10 Indiana State at Louisville, Ky. 11 a.m.
Mar 11 Louisville at Louisville, Ky. 2 p.m.
Mar 16 Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg, Miss. 6:30 p.m.
Mar 17 Southern, Mississippi at Hattiesburg, Miss. 1 p.m.
Mar 18 Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg, Miss. 12 p.m.
Mar 20 Duquesne Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
Mar 21 Youngstown State Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
Mar 23 Western Michigan * Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
Mar 24 Western Michigan * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
Mar 25 Western Michigan * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
Mar 27 Cleveland State Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
Mar 28 Pittsburgh Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
Mar 30 Central Michigan * at Mount Pleasant, Mich. 3 p.m.
Mar 31 Central Michigan * at Mount Pleasant, Mich. 1 p.m.
Apr 1 Central Michigan * at Mount Pleasant, Mich. 1 p.m.
Apr 3 Cleveland State at Cleveland, Ohio 3 p.m.
Apr 4 Penn State at State College, Pa. 5 p.m.
Apr 6 Northern Illinois * Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
Apr 7 Northern Illinois * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
Apr 8 Northern Illinois * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
Apr 11 Wooster Kent, Ohio 4 p.m.
Apr 13 Ball State * at Muncie, Ind. 3 p.m. (CST)
Apr 14 Ball State * at Muncie, Ind. 1 p.m. (CST)
Apr 15 Ball State * at Muncie, Ind. 1 p.m. (CST)
Apr 17 Malone Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
Apr 20 Miami * at Oxford, Ohio 6:30 p.m.
Apr 21 Miami * at Oxford, Ohio 5 p.m.
Apr 22 Miami * at Oxford, Ohio 1 p.m.
Apr 24 Akron at Canal Park- Akron, Ohio 6 p.m.
Apr 25 Dusquesne at Pittsburgh, Pa. 3 p.m.
Apr 27 Ohio * Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
Apr 28 Ohio * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
Apr 29 Ohio * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
May 1 Youngstown State at Niles, Ohio 7 p.m.
May 2 Niagara Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
May 4 Bowling Green * Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
May 5 Bowling Green * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
May 6 Bowling Green * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
May 11 Akron * at Akron, Ohio 3 p.m.
May 12 Akron * at Akron, Ohio 1 p.m.
May 13 Akron * at Akron, Ohio 1 p.m.
May 16 Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh, Pa. 6 p.m.
May 17 Buffalo * Kent, Ohio 3 p.m.
May 18 Buffalo * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
May 19 Buffalo * Kent, Ohio 1 p.m.
May 23 - May 26 Mid-American Conference Tournament at Top Seed
