Baseball Announces 2011 Schedule

 The hot stove has been lit, and there is light at the end of the long winter tunnel for the Hartford baseball team, as head coach Jeff Calcaterra announced the Hawks' 2011 schedule on Thursday. The slate is highlighted by a season-opening four-game series at Oregon State, the two-time national champions. Hartford will also host 23 regular season games at Fiondella Field.

"Once again, our staff has put together a very competitive and challenging schedule," Calcaterra remarked. "We feel that in order to become a championship type of program, we have to play opponents who are champions."

The Hawks could pick no better opponent to start towards that end than Oregon State. The Beavers claimed the 2006 and 2007 national championships. Last season, Oregon State advanced to the Gainesville Regional of the College World Series. Eight Beavers from last year's squad were selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, including six in the top 10 rounds.

Hartford returns home from Corvallis to open its home slate on March 9 against Central Connecticut. The Hawks and Blue Devils had a memorable season opener last year, when the Hawks came back from a 10-4 deficit to grab a 12-11 victory. Hartford and Central play a single game on the 9th at 3:00 p.m.

After the home opener, Hartford is back on the road for an eight-game tour of the Mid-Atlantic. The road trip opens at Radford, where the Hawks will play three games from March 11-13. From there, they will travel to Blacksburg, Va. to take on Virginia Tech for two games March 15-16. The Hokies reached the Columbia Regional of the College World Series after being ranked 16th in the nation last season. Like Oregon State, the Hokies had a big day at the MLB Draft when seven players were selected, including four in the first 10 rounds.

Hartford concludes its road trip with a three-game set at Delaware State March 18-20.

The Hawks' first extended homestand comes March 22-26 when they host Boston College, Massachusetts, and Yale for a doubleheader. The Hawks and Bulldogs will reprise their rivalry the next day with a doubleheader in New Haven. All told, Hartford plays seven games against schools from Connecticut, four of which - including the only matchup with UConn - will be at Fiondella Field.

The America East schedule opens on April 9 when Hartford visits Albany for a doubleheader, followed by a single game the next day. Hartford's home conference opener is April 16, a doubleheader against Maine. The Hawks will host Maine for three games, Albany for three games and Stony Brook for four. They will visit Albany for three, Binghamton for four, Maine for three and UMBC for four to conclude the regular season.

"We open this year's campaign against two-time national champion Oregon State," Calcattera summarized. "In addition to OSU from the Pac-10, we will compete against teams from the Big South, ACC, MEAC, Big East, NEC, Ivy League, A-10, Patriot and MAAC conferences. The 2011 schedule will provide a quality experience for our players as well as prepare them to compete for a conference championship berth."

That conference championship begins May 25, with times and locations to be determined. An America East champion will be crowned May 27.