SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Despite the cool weather throughout the Southeast, the 2009 Southern Conference baseball season is ready to get underway as Friday is Opening Day for all 11 league teams.
All but one SoCon team is at home this weekend as defending champion and 2009 preseason favorite Elon heads to Auburn, Ala., to battle SEC power Auburn, which is led by former College of Charleston coach John Pawlowski. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET.
Also at 4 p.m., Western Carolina hosts Bowling Green, UNC Greensboro entertains No. 18 Kent State, Wofford takes on SIU-Edwardsville and Furman tackles Ball State.
College of Charleston, picked second by the league’s media and third by the coaches in the preseason balloting, begins the Monte Lee era against Miami (Ohio) at 5 p.m. Other 5 p.m. games include Indiana State at The Citadel and Jacksonville State at Appalachian State in game one of a series that will be played at McNair Field in Forest City, N.C.
Samford’s first game as a Southern Conference member begins at 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) when the Bulldogs host Kennesaw State at Joe Lee Griffin Field in Birmingham.
Finally, at 7 p.m. Davidson hosts Ohio and Georgia Southern, the SoCon coaches’ selection to finish second behind Elon, welcomes Presbyterian.
The Southern Conference, which is perennially one of the top Division I baseball conferences in the country, was rated as the eighth-best league out of 31 in 2008, according to the RPI. The league has sent multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five seasons, including a trip to the Super Regional round in 2004 by College of Charleston.
Many SoCon baseball games will be video streamed throughout the season at SoCon.tv ? check back often for updated listings and game times.
The SoCon baseball season will culminate with the 2009 Southern Conference Baseball Championship, which will be held for the first time at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. from May 20-24. To purchase tickets, visit SoConSports.com.
Opening Day Capsules (Friday, Feb.20)
Starters are subject to change.
All records are from the 2008 season.
Bowling Green (32-20, 16-8 MAC) at Western Carolina (29-28, 14-13 SoCon), 4 p.m.
Dusty Hawk (2-1, 7.88 ERA) Mike Tavernier (4-5, 4.65 ERA)
Elon (44-18, 19-8 SoCon) at Auburn (28-28, 11-19 SEC), 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT)
Jimmy Reyes (3-0, 6.25 ERA) Grant Dayton (7-2, 3.89 ERA)
No. 18 Kent State (36-21, 16-8 MAC) at UNC Greensboro (33-27, 15-12 SoCon), 4 p.m.
Kyle Smith (9-1, 5.76 ERA) Rob Gilliam (4-4, 6.23 ERA)
SIU-Edwardsville (24-25) at Wofford (24-35, 6-21 SoCon), 4 p.m.
Andrew Beatty (5-3, 4.21 ERA) Scott Summers (7-7, 5.54 ERA)
Ball State (28-25, 12-11 MAC) at Furman (33-24, 17-10 SoCon), 4 p.m.
Brendan Stines (3-3, 7.95 ERA) Ian Parry (5-5, 3.88 ERA)
Miami (OH) (18-36, 8-19 MAC) at College of Charleston (39-20, 18-9 SoCon), 5 p.m.
Matt Erwood (3-6, 4.29 ERA) Jesse Simpson (9-3, 3.88 ERA)
Indiana State (18-32, 9-18 MVC) at The Citadel (28-28, 12-15 SoCon), 5 p.m.
Michael Manus (2-8, 5.73 ERA) Wes Wrenn (5-5, 4.66 ERA)
Jacksonville State (37-21, 23-4 OVC) at Appalachian State (32-27, 14-13 SoCon), 5 p.m.
Ben Tootle (10-2, 3.87 ERA) Matt Andress (8-4, 5.30 ERA)
*at McNair Field in Forest City, N.C.
Kennesaw State (30-26, 21-12 A-Sun) at Samford (33-23, 19-7 OVC), 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT)
Kyle Heckathorn (4-2, 4.98 ERA) Michael Jarry (4-2, 4.98 ERA)
Ohio (29-30, 14-13 MAC) at Davidson (12-28, 4-23 SoCon), 7 p.m.
Chris Rigo (6-3, 5.07 ERA) Thomas Middour (3-4, 5.29 ERA)
Presbyterian (13-40) at Georgia Southern (33-25, 16-11 SoCon), 7 p.m.
Jesse Harmon (1-8, 8.59 ERA) Chris Mederos (JUCO Transfer)