2011 Schedule
The 2011 High Point University baseball schedule was announced by head coach
Craig Cozart on Monday. The Panthers will face five teams that made it to last year's NCAA Tournament, including two teams that advanced to the Super Regionals.
The Panthers will open the season with a four-game series at Troy in Troy, Ala beginning Friday Feb 18. After the road trip HPU will not leave the state of North Carolina again until May 13.
“I am very excited about the schedule for this season,” Cozart said. “It is very interesting the way things worked out. We open with a challenging four-game series at Troy, but don't leave North Carolina again until the last three weeks of the season. It speaks to the quality of Division I baseball in North Carolina that we were able to fill our schedule with challenging opponents so close to home.”
The Panthers will face five teams that played in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. HPU will play a home-and-home with Elon, last season's SoCon Champion. There will be midweek games at ACC opponents North Carolina and Virginia. UVA advanced to the Super Regional, winning the first game before falling to Oklahoma. CAA Champion Virginia Commonwealth will visit Williard Stadium on March 16. Finally, HPU will host Big South Conference foe Coastal Carolina April 22-24. The Chanticleers also advanced to the Super Regional last year, falling to eventual champion South Carolina.
HPU will also play ACC opponents Duke and Wake Forest as well as Conference USA foe East Carolina. HPU topped ECU 13-12 last season at Williard Stadium when the team was ranked No. 16.
Big South Conference action begins March 18 when Presbyterian College comes to Williard Stadium. Winthrop, Liberty, Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina also make the trip to High Point this season. The Panthers will travel to Gardner-Webb, UNC Asheville, Radford and VMI for conference games.
“It will be to our advantage to play Coastal Carolina, Winthrop and Liberty on our field this season,” Cozart said. “It will certainly help to play the Big South's toughest teams at home.”
The Panthers will be at VMI for the final weekend of the regular season. The Keydets will also host the 2011 Big South Conference Tournament beginning May 24.
“As always we scheduled to challenge the team,” Cozart said. “I am looking forward to another great season.”
