Baseball releases 2009 schedule

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn released the 2009 baseball schedule on Monday afternoon at his annual fall Swatter’s Club meeting at the Fayetteville Clarion Inn.

In what is expected to be one of the toughest schedules in the country, Arkansas is slated to play 56 games, including 37 home contests at Baum Stadium. Of Arkansas’ 56-game schedule, 43 games are scheduled against teams from some of the elite conferences in college baseball including the Southeastern Conference, Pac-10 and Big 12 and 28 games are played against teams that were in the NCAA Regional Tournament last season.

“This is a tremendous home schedule,” Van Horn said. “We went out last year and played on the road more than any SEC team. That should help us this year and next year. The fans have been great to us for years and especially since the 2004 season and we wanted to put together a great schedule for the fans. We will certainly need their support this year and it should be an exciting season. This is a schedule that will rank with anyone in the country. I would say that on paper this is a top 10 schedule and depending on how our opponents do this season our RPI would go through the roof if we win games.”

The first pitch of the 2009 season is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20, at 3:05 p.m. against Washington State who comes to Fayetteville for the first time for a three-game series. Opening day kicks off a season-long 13-game home stand for the Razorbacks that include games against Washington State, Kansas, Western Illinois, Valparaiso and California.

Arkansas heads out on the road for the first time in mid-March with a mid-week set against Centenary College, March 10-11, before returning home to open SEC play against the Florida Gators, March 13-15. Following the Florida series, Arkansas welcomes the University of Nebraska to Fayetteville for the first time since 2000, March 17-18.

The Razorback’s first SEC road series comes at Auburn, March 20-22, which leads to another four-game home stand against Missouri State on March 24 and Mississippi State, March 27-29. The Razorbacks finish off the month with a return trip to Missouri State on the 31st.

Arkansas’ April begins on the road against South Carolina for a weekend set April 3-5 before the Hogs return to the friendly confines of Baum Stadium for seven games against perennial national power Arizona State, April 7-8, Vanderbilt, April 10-12, and Louisiana-Monroe, April 14-15.

The Diamond Hogs longest road trip is next on the schedule as the Hogs play seven consecutive games on the road. The Razorbacks face Georgia, April 17-19, before a day trip against Oral Roberts on the 21st. Tennessee wraps up the road trip April 24-26.

Arkansas adds Oklahoma to the schedule for the first time since 2002 on April 28 at Baum Stadium before hosting defending SEC West Champion LSU, May 1-3.

Baseball’s regular season schedule wraps up with road games against Alabama, May 8-10, before returning home for a single game with Oral Roberts on May 12 followed by the final series of the season against Ole Miss, May 14-16.

The SEC Tournament is scheduled for May 20-24 in Hoover, Ala., with NCAA Regional and Super Regional slated for May 29-June 1 and June 5-8, respectively. The College World Series in Omaha, Neb., is set for June 12-22.

The Razorbacks continue to conduct fall practices and have narrowed down the dates for their annual Red-White series for the middle of October. For more information regarding Razorback baseball or University of Arkansas athletics please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Download: 2009 Baseball Schedule.pdf