TCU Announces 2005 Baseball Schedule
9/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 8, 2004
FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle has announced the Horned Frogs' 2005 schedule. The 56-game regular-season slate includes 30 games at the state-of-the-art Lupton Stadium and Williams-Reilly Field. They will welcome to Lupton Stadium three of the top teams in Conference USA, including East Carolina who made it to the Super Regionals last season. Overall, the Horned Frogs will play 19 games against teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament a year ago.
"This schedule is a balanced one with some very tough road trips early in the season to FAU (Florida Atlantic) and Rice," said Schlossnagle. "FAU is consistently one of the top four programs in Florida and a top-30 RPI program. I look forward to the Rice weekend, as the success they have had is certainly something we are trying to emulate."
TCU opens up the regular season at home with a three-game series beginning Feb. 11 at 7:00 p.m. against future Mountain West Conference opponent Utah. Following the weekend series, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, another NCAA Regional qualifier, will come to Lupton for the first of two mid-week games. Game time for the Feb. 15 contest is set for 7:00 p.m.
The Frogs hit the road for a challenging three-game series against NCAA-qualifier Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla., Feb. 18-20. TCU will play two night games followed by an afternoon tilt on Sunday. The Frogs remain on the road for another mid-week contest on Feb. 22 in Huntsville, Texas against Sam Houston State.
Following the Sam Houston contest, the Frogs will open up a seven-game homestand that will see Dallas Baptist, the two-time defending NCCAA National Champions, come in for three games (Feb. 24-26) and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference member Manhattan for three (March 4-6). On March 8, Texas Tech will make its final appearance of the 2005 campaign at Lupton Stadium in a 7:00 p.m. contest.
TCU will wrap up its preseason schedule with a four-game road swing before Conference USA play begins on March 18. The Frogs will travel to Houston to take on another NCAA qualifier in Rice. The three-game series is set to begin on March 11. TCU will get its first taste of the Baylor Bears on March 15 when they head to Waco for a 7:00 p.m. tilt.
"This year's home schedule is much more attractive than in 2004 as we host Texas Tech, Baylor and Oklahoma along with three of the upper-echelon teams in C-USA in Southern Miss, Houston and East Carolina," commented Schlossnagle.
The Frogs will open up C-USA action at home this season as NCAA qualifier Southern Miss comes to town for three-games beginning March 18. The Frogs will take a brief break from conference action on March 22 to host the Oklahoma Sooners in a 7:00 p.m. tilt.
March 25 will mark the Frog's first conference road test as they head north to St. Louis to take on the Saint Louis Billikens in a three-game series at Billiken Sports Center.
TCU will return home for the next two weekends as they host regular season champions and Super Regional qualifier East Carolina for three games beginning April 1. On April 5, the Frogs will head to Arlington to face Metropelx rival UT-Arlington at Clay Gould Ballpark. The Frogs turn around and host USF April 8-10.
April 12 the Frogs begin a stretch of seven of eight games on the road as they head to Oklahoma to face the Sooners in a Tuesday night contest. Following that contest the Frogs head to Memphis for a three-game series with the Tigers. The Frogs lone home game of the stretch is an April 19 contest with Baylor. TCU then heads east to Charlotte, N.C., to square off against the 49ers for three games.
The Frogs return home for another six-game home stand beginning April 26-27 when they host UT-Pan American. On April 29, the Houston Cougars come to town for a three-game series. The Frogs will complete the home-home series with UTA when the Mavericks come to Lupton on May 3.
The last three weeks of the regular season will see the Frogs play nine games against conference opponents. TCU will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on the Bearcats in their new ballpark for three games. They will return home for their final home games of the season when they host Louisville May 13-15. The Frogs will then hit the road for their final series of the season before postseason play begins when they face off against Super Regional participant Tulane in New Orleans beginning May 19.
"As our last go-around in C-USA, it will be exciting to have Southern Miss, Houston and East Carolina at home and I hope all TCU fans will mark their calendars for those series," said Schlossnagle. "Certainly the last weekend of the season at Tulane should be a weekend that I trust we will travel our families and fans to."
The Horned Frogs are determined to make a return to trip to the Conference USA Postseason Tournament to defend the title they won in 2004. Southern Miss will host this year's Conference Tournament in Hattiesburg, Miss., beginning May 25 and lasting until May 29.
"I really hope that the TCU fans will respond to our great finish last year by purchasing season tickets and increasing our home attendance," remarked Schlossnagle. "We have been a program ranked in the top 35 of attendance, but we need to move into the top 20.
First pitch of the 2005 campaign is slated for 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 11 against the Utah Utes.
For the complete 2005 schedule click the link below.
