The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team announced its 2010 schedule this week. Alabama Athletics Media Relations issued the schedule and some comments from first year head coach Mitch Gaspard in the release below.
The Tide returns 5 starters from last year’s NCAA Regional team. The entire infield (1B-Clay Jones, 2B-Ross Wilson, SS-Josh Rutledge and 3B-Jake Smith) and OF-Taylor Dugas are back this season. Each of those five returning starters hit .305 or better in 2009 and all should be all-SEC candidates. The pitching staff will have a blend of experience and youth. How well the pitching staff develops will be the key to how good the 2010 season will be for Alabama.
The non-conference schedule has some interesting and different challenges. The Crimson Tide baseball schedule is below. Be sure to sign-up for e-mail alerts, so you never miss a post on Alabama or the SEC, by selecting subscribe on my main page.
Crimson Tide Releases 2010 Baseball Schedule
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama announced its 2010 college baseball schedule on Monday, which includes 32 games against Southeastern Conference teams and 22 games with teams that played in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
The list of 2009 NCAA Regional qualifiers includes Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Minnesota, Mississippi, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Of those eight teams, four played in NCAA Super Regionals and two advanced to the College World Series.
Alabama’s non-conference series includes games against South Alabama, Illinois-Chicago, College of Charleston, Stony Brook and Minnesota.
“I think the schedule sets up pretty well and that will be similar to the schedules we would like to play in the future,” first-year Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard said “We would like to play one non-conference series with an NCAA Regional-type team each year. I would like for that to be regionalized, where it is a team that would draw some interest from our fans and when we go there it would draw some interest. So I think in the future we want to have one kind of marquee weekend before we hit conference play that puts us in an atmosphere, whether it be at home or on the road, that would be similar to an SEC weekend.”
In addition to its 10-week SEC regular-season schedule, Alabama will play two non-conference games with Georgia and Auburn in 2010. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs, who do not play a league game in the regular season for the first time since 1994, will meet on Wednesday, March 3 at Regions Park in Hoover. Alabama and Auburn will meet in the second annual Capital City Classic on Tuesday, March 9 at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery.
“I think the schedule is really good this year,” Gaspard added. “Minnesota has been really good. They’ve been in a regional almost every year. They are one of the better Big 10 teams out there. It gives you some different flavor bringing some different folks in and the name has a lot to do with it so there is some excitement among our players and fans when you bring in a Big 10 school or someone from out of our region that traditionally plays good baseball. It’s a different look and a different style.
“That’s something that we want to continue to do, along with playing the teams in the state. It’s always important to play those people here and on the road. When you put a schedule together, you want to put it together where it will continue to help you improve throughout the season.”
The Crimson Tide will also face Michigan State in a midweek game in Tuscaloosa and in-state foes Jacksonville State, Samford and UAB.
“I think early on in the season some of those marquee Tuesday and Wednesday games are important. It gives you an opportunity to play some folks you would not otherwise play that you may match up with in a regional,” Gaspard said.
“I want to look at teams that play different styles, so you become comfortable with two or three different styles of play in your opponents, so when you run into a team that plays the short game, at least you’ve prepared for that for a weekend. You may run into a base-to-base, power or power-pitching team, whatever it may be, and try to match up the best you can. Normally the style and philosophy of the head coach does not change a lot, so you try to play some folks that will make you change a little bit as far as the style of play, where you can make some adjustments as the season goes along.”
Alabama will play SEC home series’ with Vanderbilt, Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida and Mississippi in 2010, while traveling to Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Season ticket renewals will be mailed in November and a date for single-game ticket sales will be announced after the first of the year.
The complete 2010 Alabama baseball schedule is as follows.
2010 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE BASEBALL SCHEDULE
Day Date Opponent Time
Saturday Feb. 21 SOUTH ALABAMA 2 p.m.
Sunday Feb. 22 at South Alabama 1:30 p.m.
Friday Feb. 26 ILLINOIS CHICAGO 6:35 p.m.
Saturday Feb. 27 ILLINOIS CHICAGO (DH) 1:05 p.m.
Tuesday March 2 at Samford 6 p.m.
Wednesday March 3 Georgia (Regions Park) 6:35 p.m.
Friday March 5 at College of Charleston 5 p.m.
Saturday March 6 at College of Charleston 12 p.m.
Sunday March 7 at College of Charleston 12 p.m.
Tuesday March 9 Auburn (Riverwalk Stadium) 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday March 10 MICHIGAN STATE 6:35 p.m.
Friday March 12 STONY BROOK 6:35 p.m.
Saturday March 13 STONY BROOK (DH) 1:05 p.m.
Sunday March 14 STONY BROOK 2:05 p.m.
Tuesday March 16 MINNESOTA 6:35 p.m.
Wednesday March 17 MINNESOTA 6:35 p.m.
Friday March 19 VANDERBILT 6:35 p.m.
Saturday March 20 VANDERBILT 4:05 p.m.
Sunday March 21 VANDERBILT 2:05 p.m.
Friday March 26 at Arkansas 6:30 p.m.
Saturday March 27 at Arkansas 2 p.m.
Sunday March 28 at Arkansas 1 p.m.
Tuesday March 30 JACKSONVILLE STATE 6:35 p.m.
Wednesday March 31 UAB (Regions Park) 6:30 p.m.
Friday April 2 AUBURN 6:35 p.m.
Saturday April 3 AUBURN 4:05 p.m.
Sunday April 4 AUBURN 2:05 p.m.
Tuesday April 6 UAB 6:35 p.m.
Friday April 9 at Kentucky 5:30 p.m.
Saturday April 10 at Kentucky 5:30 p.m
Sunday April 11 at Kentucky 12 p.m.
Tuesday April 13 SAMFORD 6:35 p.m.
Wednesday April 14 at Southeastern Louisiana 7 p.m.
Friday April 16 at LSU 7 p.m.
Saturday April 17 at LSU 7 p.m.
Sunday April 18 at LSU 1 p.m.
Friday April 23 MISSISSIPPI STATE 6:35 p.m.
Saturday April 24 MISSISSIPPI STATE 4:05 p.m.
Sunday April 25 MISSISSIPPI STATE 2:05 p.m.
Tuesday April 27 MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 6:35 p.m.
Wednesday April 28 MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 6:35 p.m.
Friday April 30 at South Carolina 6 p.m.
Saturday May 1 at South Carolina 3 p.m.
Sunday May 2 at South Carolina 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday May 4 at Jacksonville State 6:30 p.m.
Friday May 7 FLORIDA 6:35 p.m.
Saturday May 8 FLORIDA 4:05 p.m.
Sunday May 9 FLORIDA 2:05 p.m.
Friday May 14 MISSISSIPPI 6:35 p.m.
Saturday May 15 MISSISSIPPI 4:05 p.m.
Sunday May 16 MISSISSIPPI 2:05 p.m.
Thursday May 20 at Tennessee 6 p.m.
Friday May 21 at Tennessee 6 p.m.
Saturday May 22 at Tennessee 3 p.m.
Wed.-Sun. May 26-30 SEC Tournament (Hoover, Ala.) TBA
Fri.-Sun. June 4-6 NCAA Regionals (Campus Sites) TBA
Fri.-Mon. June 11-14 NCAA Super Regionals (Campus Sites) TBA
Sat.-Sat. June 20-27 College World Series (Omaha, Neb.) TBA
Mon.-Wed. June 29-July 1 CWS Super Series (Omaha, Neb.) TBA
All times are (central) are subject to change.
-UA-
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