12/06/05–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SOUTH
ALABAMA BASEBALL TO FACE ONE OF TOUGHEST SCHEDULES IN SCHOOL HISTORY
17 OF THE FIRST 20 GAMES ARE AT STANKY FIELD
CONTACT:
Kit Strief
2006
Schedule in PDF Format
MOBILE,
Ala. –
University of South Alabama head baseball coach Steve Kittrell announced
the 2006 USA baseball schedule at a press luncheon at the newly
renovated Stanky Field on Tuesday. Among the opponents the Jaguars
will meet on their home turf this season will be Alabama, Arkansas,
Auburn, Oklahoma State, Southern Miss, Tulane and Wichita State.
USA also will host games against Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern
and Stetson, as well as 12 games in the Sun Belt Conference, making
for an exciting home schedule.
“This
is a great schedule,” said head coach Steve Kittrell, who
marks his 23rd season at the helm of the Jaguars in 2006. “This
is probably the toughest schedule that we have had since I have
been here. This is the kind of schedule that can either make or
break you.”
In all, USA
faces 10 teams that made the NCAA tournament in 2005. These include:
Tulane (56-12); Louisiana-Lafayette (48-19); Alabama (40-23); Auburn
(34-26); Arkansas (39-22); Michigan (42-19); Southern Mississippi
(41-21); Stetson (35-28); Coastal Carolina (50-16) and Wichita State
(51-24).
“Our hope
is that we can get some big wins against some of these teams because
it can help us in the RPI battle,”
Kittrell said. “With our beautiful new ballpark and as many
home games as we have against top competition, we are hoping to
build our fan base back to where it used to be and even surpass
it.”
USA is coming
off a season that saw it head to the NCAA tournament with its 11th
Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship. Totaling a record of
35-27, the Jags competed in the Tallahassee regional. USA returns
seven offensive starters lead by senior third baseman David Freese.
On the mound
the Jags return eight pitchers who saw action last season. Junior
right-hander P.J. Walters leads the staff into 2006 with 20 career
wins and 238 career strikeouts. Chase Christianson, who totaled
five saves in 2005, will be the most experienced option out of the
bullpen.
The 56-game
schedule includes 36 home contests, starting with the annual Hall
of Fame Game Feb. 4. The annual game pits current Jaguar players
against former Jaguar players who are either playing in the pro
ranks or at the minor league level.
For the first
time in four years, the regular season begins at home with two games
against Grambling State on Feb. 5-6. USA then hosts 2005 NCAA tournament
qualifier Oklahoma State out of the Big 12 Conference, George Washington
and SEC perennial power Arkansas in a weekend round-robin format,
Feb. 10-12.
The 21st annual
Coca-Cola Classic follows on Feb. 17-19 as Southern Mississippi,
Stetson and perennial Missouri Valley Conference power Wichita State
come to town for the tournament. The Jaguars complete the month
of February at the ScreenTech Classic in Dothan, Ala., Feb. 24-26.
USA will face Sun Belt Conference newcomer and host of the tournament,
Troy, as well as UAB and Michigan at that event.
The Jaguars open March with a three-game home series against Samford
(Mar. 3-5), followed by a mid-week home game against SEC member
Alabama on Mar. 8. USA will then host Coastal Carolina and Georgia
Southern in a three-team weekend series Mar. 10-12, playing each
team twice.
USA meets national
power Tulane in a three-game weekend series that begins with two
games in New Orleans (Mar. 17-18) and culminates at Stanky Field
on March 19. The Jaguars then play a mid-week game at Conference
USA member Southern Mississippi on Mar. 21, before opening Sun Belt
Conference play against Louisiana-Lafayette at home Mar. 24-26.
The Jaguars travel to Nicholls State for a non-conference game on
Mar. 29, before making their first conference road trip at Troy
Mar. 31-Apr. 2.
Games against
Nicholls State (Apr. 4) and Southeastern Louisiana (Apr. 5) open
the home slate in April, followed by a weekend series with Florida
International Apr. 7-9. USA hosts SEC power Auburn Apr. 11, followed
by a road series at Arkansas-Little Rock (Apr. 14-16). USA hosts
Nicholls State in the third game of the series Apr. 18, preceding
a home series with Middle Tennessee Apr. 21-23.
USA begins its
longest road trip of the season as it travels to Southeastern Louisiana
Apr. 26, followed by series at Western Kentucky (Apr. 28-30), New
Orleans (May 5-7) and two non-conference games at Jacksonville State,
May 9-10.
The Jaguars
complete the regular season with a home series against Arkansas
State May 12-14. USA will have 10 days off before traveling to the
Sun Belt Conference Tournament May 24-27 in Bowling Green, Ky.
Season tickets
are $100 for reserved chair-back seats and $80 for general admission.
Tickets are on sale now at the USA Ticket Office or by calling 251-460-6047.
2006
South Alabama Baseball Schedule:
February – 4 HALL OF FAME GAME; 5-6 GRAMBLING
STATE; 10 OKLAHOMA STATE, 11 GEORGE MASON; 12 ARKANSAS; 13 ALABAMA
STATE; 17 STETSON; 18 WICHITA STATE; 19 SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI; 24
at Troy; 25 vs. UAB; 26 vs. Michigan.
March
– 3-6 SAMFORD; 8 ALABAMA; 10-11 COASTAL CAROLINA;
11-12 GEORGIA SOUTHERN; 17-18 at Tulane; 19 TULANE; 21 at Southern
Mississippi; 24-26 LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE; 29 at Nicholls State; 31
at Troy.
April
– 1-2 at Troy; 4 NICHOLLS STATE; 5 SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA;
7-9 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL; 11 AUBURN; 14-16 at Arkansas-Little Rock;
18 NICHOLLS STATE; 21-24 MIDDLE TENNESSEE; 26 at Southeastern Louisiana;
28-30 at Western Kentucky.
May
– 5 at New Orleans; 9-10 at Jacksonville State; 12-14
ARKANSAS STATE; 24-27 at Sun Belt Conference Tournament, Bowling
Green, Ky.
June
– 2-5 Regionals; 9-12 Super Regionals; 15-25 College
World Series.
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