NEW ORLEANS ? The University of New Orleans baseball team, like most in college baseball, will get off to a late start in the 2008 season. But the Privateers will make up for it with another competitive schedule.
The 2007 Sun Belt Conference Tournament champions announced their 2008 slate on Thursday, beginning with a three-game series at New Mexico State Feb. 22-24. The season is starting later than normal, as new scheduling rules prohibited teams to play games prior to the fourth weekend in February. It will be UNO's latest start to a season since 1982.
The series will kick off a busy season, which will see UNO play 16 mid-week games including contests against perennial NCAA Tournament participants Alabama, LSU, Southern Mississippi and Tulane. The Privateers will also play 30 games in the Sun Belt Conference, which sent three teams to NCAA Regional play last season. The Privateers will defend their SBC tourney crown in Lafayette, La., May 21 through 24.
“I really like this schedule,” said UNO head coach Tom Walter. “When you take on some of the non-conference programs we will face this year and combine that with the talent in the Sun Belt, it adds up to a schedule that prepares you for the postseason.”
UNO will open up the home campaign on Feb. 26 against Southern followed by a three-game weekend series against Vermont. The Privateers will play 25 contests at Maestri Field, including mid-week matchups against in-state rivals LSU and Tulane and 2007 NCAA participant Southern Miss.
Because of the condensed schedule, UNO will kick off Sun Belt play in the third week of the season (at Middle Tennessee). The Privateers will make their SBC home debut against Louisiana-Monroe March 14 through 16.
UNO, which picked up a win at Wichita State in the 2007 NCAA Wichita Regional, returns 22 letter winners ? including four everyday position starters and all three weekend starting pitchers.
The squad will host an Alumni game at 1 p.m. on Saturday before resuming Fall World Series play at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
