CORPUS CHRISTI, TEX. --- Defending NCAA champion
Texas and dates
with regional participant Lamar headline the 2003 Texas
A&M-Corpus Christi
baseball schedule, it was announced, Thursday.
A&M-Corpus Christi, which will enter its fourth season on
the
diamond, will play a 55-game schedule, 28 at Islander Field on
campus and 27 on the road.
Coming off a 24-29 season in 2002, A&M-CC will open the
season
against the Longhorns in Austin, February 5 and then will return
to
Disch-Falk Field for another meeting on April 1. Texas finished the
2002
campaign with a 57-15 mark after defeating South Carolina in
the
championship game of the College World Series.
A&M-CC's road slate is also highlighted games at Big 12
opponent
Texas A&M (35-24) on February 11, a two game set at Louisiana
Tech beginning March 15, and a three-game series at New Mexico on
March 28.
A&M-CC's home schedule, which will be played at Islander Field
on
campus, will begin February 7 against NAIA opponent Lambuth
University. The rest of the home slate is featured by Southland
Conference foes Southwest Texas State (36-24), Lamar (36-24),
UT-San Antonio as well as traditional NCAA Division II power St.
Mary�s. Games with Centenary, Incarnate Word, Morris Brown,
Prairie View A&M, St. Edward�s, Texas Southern, UT-Pan
American will complete the Islanders� home
slate.
"I think our schedule will enable us to be competitive this
season," said Islander head coach Hector Salinas. "In the past
years, we
had tougher schedules, but found ourselves to be less
competitive.
"We open up against the national champions and hopefully that
will
help us get ready for the rest of the season," continued Salinas.
"We will
know right off the bat where we stand."
