Michigan State Baseball Announces 2006 Schedule
11/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 18, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State baseball announced its 2006 schedule this week. The Spartans open play Feb. 24-26 at the Cardinal Classic in Beaumont, Texas. State will also make a week-long trip in the Sunshine State, facing six teams throughout Florida. Other highlights of the upcoming season are 11 games at Oldsmobile Park, home of the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts.
"I am very excited about the upcoming 2006 schedule," stated first-year head coach David Grewe. "It is a very challenging test for our guys. As most northern baseball programs do, we will play our first 15 games of the year on the road. All 15 opponents that we face during our early season southern trips are extremely tough and have shown past success."
"It will take a great deal of discipline and focus to maintain a high level of intensity during the early part of our season," remarked Grewe. "I have always believed that northern teams can grow and learn from the early season challenges, which in turn will prepare our players for the later part of our schedule."
Kicking off the `06 campaign in Texas for Cardinal Classic, the Spartans take on host Lamar University on Feb. 24, meeting Arkansas State and Lamar again on Feb. 25. Kentucky will be the final opponent State will face in the tournament, taking on the Wildcats on Feb. 26.
The Green and White hit the road to Florida, March 4-11, traveling to Clearwater, Miami and Boca Raton. While in Clearwater at the Winning Inning College Classic, MSU will play Lehigh on March 4 and 6, squeezing Sacred Heart in on the 5th. From there, State goes cross-state to Miami, facing Florida International on March 7 and Miami, who concluded the 2005 season ranked 15th, on March 8. Wrapping up their stint in the south, the Spartans take on Seton Hall and Rhode Island on March 9 and 11, respectively, in Boca Raton.
The last four games of Michigan State's initial 15-game road trip will be in Ohio, facing the Bobcats of Ohio University in Athens, March 17-19, with a doubleheader scheduled for the 18th.
In their first home game of the year, the Spartans host Western Illinois at Kobs Field on March 25 and again on the 26. Grand Valley State visits East Lansing on March 29.
State shifts home play to Oldsmobile Park, in Lansing, facing its first Big Ten opponent in Indiana March 31-April 2. April 1 will be a doubleheader. Eastern Michigan is next on the slate for the Green and White, on April 5, also to be played at Oldsmobile Park.
"I have chosen to split our home games between Olds Park and historic Kobs Field," Grewe said. "Both facilities are special to our players and we are happy to call both ballparks home. We feel very fortunate to have a strong relationship with the folks at Olds Park and look forward to the support of both the MSU and Lansing community with attendance at our home games."
The Spartans embark on a nine-game road trip beginning at Purdue, April 7-9, with a doubleheader on the 8th. Western Michigan plays host to the Spartans, April 12, at Fifth Third Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps, in Comstock Park, Mich.
"Playing Western at Fifth Third Ballpark gives our players an opportunity to play in another professional stadium and is a great opportunity for all those MSU fans on the west side of the state to come see the Spartans much closer to home," remarked Grewe.
Closing out the road trip, State travels to Penn State April 14-16 with the doubleheader of the four-game series on the 15th.
Upon their return, the Spartans host Central Michigan at Oldsmobile Park on April 19 and follow with Minnesota at Kobs Field April 21-23, with a doubleheader on the 22nd. Toledo visits East Lansing on April 29.
Michigan State and Michigan will split the four-game series between the two schools, playing in Ann Arbor on April 28, double-dipping at Oldsmobile Park on the 29th and returning to Ann Arbor for the final game on the 30th. Continuing Big Ten play, the Green and White host Ohio State at Oldsmobile Park May 5-7 with two games scheduled for the 6th.
State begins a seven-game road stance on May 9, traveling to Kalamazoo, facing Western Michigan for the second time of the season. Evanston, Ill., is the next stop for the Spartans, playing Northwestern May 12-14 with a doubleheader on the 13th. The last game of the trip is at Central Michigan on May 17.
MSU wraps up regular-season play with Illinois at home May 19-21. The four-game series will take place at Kobs Field with two games on the 20th.
"I expect the Big Ten to be once again loaded with great talent, great players and great coaches," said Grewe. "It will be exciting to compete every weekend from the end of March till the mid of May against the best in the Midwest. Each weekend will present our Spartans with many challenges- this is the beauty of Big Ten baseball."
With eyes set on postseason play, the Big Ten Tournament will take place May 24-27, with the conference champion hosting the event. The NCAA Tournament begins with Regionals, June 2-5, and Super Regionals, June 9-12. The College World Series is set for June 16-26 in Omaha, Neb.
