LU BASEBALL 2011

[AshlyHasBeen]

Lamar’s 2012 baseball schedule features games against Rice, LSU, Cal-Irvine, Baylor, Washington, Houston

BEAUMONT – Lamar University will play a 55-game baseball schedule next spring highlighted by visits to Vincent-Beck Stadium by Rice University, Gonzaga, Illinois and the PAC-12 member University of Washington.

The Cardinals will play perennially-tough Baylor twice in the Baylor Classic in Waco, and they will also tangle with national power LSU in Baton Rouge, La.

Coach Jim Gilligan’s Cardinals will open their slate against Portland on Feb. 17, on the first day of the annual Lamar Classic, which will also feature former Southland Conference and American South Conference rival Arkansas State. On the next weekend (Feb. 24-26), the Cardinals have Gonzaga and Illinois coming to town for the annual YMBL/Cardinal Classic. 

While still on the tournament trail, the Cardinals, who are coming off a 29-27 season, will meet Cal-Irvine and Baylor twice each in the Baylor Classic during the weekend of March 2-4. They will then follow that event with a March 7 game at former conference rival Louisiana Tech.

“It’s a good schedule, especially early in the season,” said Jim Gilligan, who has accumulated 1,206 victories in his 35-season career as a college head coach (34 at Lamar). “We’re going to be playing some really good people at home and away.

“Baylor has a great tournament lined up with us and Cal-Irvine coming in to play the Bears, who are always competitive. I feel like we’re going to be a talented team this season, but we’re going to be inexperienced early.

“We’re going to have to do some growing up fast. The schedule is going to be a good test for us. It’s a little tougher than normal, but it’ll help us become a better team by the time conference play rolls around.”

The Cardinals, who went 15-18 in the Southland Conference last season, will open their 33-game league schedule with a three-game series at the University of Central Arkansas, beginning on March 9. The Cards’ first home league action will be in a three-game series against UT Arlington, beginning March 16.

Lamar’s annual home-and-home series with national power Rice has the Cardinals challenging the Owls in Houston’s Reckling Park on March 21 and the Owls paying a visit to Vincent-Beck Stadium on March 25.

The Cardinals will play at Houston’s Cougar Field on April 10, but the Cougars will not come to Beaumont this season, as has been the recent custom.

The Cardinals also have a non-conference home game against Washington on March 20. It will be the first meeting between the schools in baseball.

The Cardinals, who own a 5-1 series advantage over LSU, will meet the Tigers for the first time since 1995 in an April 18 game in Baton Rouge.

If the Cardinals can again finish in the top eight of the 12-team league, they will advance to San Marcos where Texas State will serve as host for the 2012 SLC Tournament on May 23-26. Last year’s Cardinals went 0-2 in the 2011 tournament, a year after sweeping their way to the tournament championship and an NCAA Regional berth in 2010.

[AshlyHasBeen]

They didn't attach the full schedule but here are some of the non-conference highlights.

HOME GAMES
Rice, Gonzaga, Illinois, Washington, Portland, Arkansas State, Rice.

ROAD GAMES
Baylor (2), UC-Irvine, LSU, Louisiana Tech, Rice, Houston.

[AshlyHasBeen]

Added
Lamar Classic
Fri. Feb. 17 Portland Beaumont 6 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 18 Arkansas State Beaumont 2:30 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 18 Portland Beaumont 6 p.m.
Sun. Feb. 19 Arkansas State Beaumont 2:30 p.m.
YMBL Cardinal Classic
Fri. Feb. 24 Gonzaga Beaumont 4 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 25 Illinois Beaumont 2:30 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 25 Gonzaga Beaumont 6 p.m.
Sun. Feb. 26 Illinois Beaumont 11 a.m.
at Baylor Classic
Fri. Mar. 2 Cal-Irvine Waco, Texas 2 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 3 at Baylor Waco, Texas 2 p.m.
Sun. Mar. 4 Cal-Irvine Waco, Texas 11 a.m.
Sun. Mar. 4 at Baylor Waco, Texas 3 p.m.
Wed. Mar. 7 at Louisiana Tech Ruston, La. 6 p.m.
Fri. Mar. 9 at Central Arkansas* Conway, Ark. 6 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 10 at Central Arkansas* Conway, Ark. 4 p.m.
Sun. Mar. 11 at Central Arkansas* Conway, Ark. 1 p.m.
Tue. Mar. 13 at Houston Baptist Houston 2 p.m.
Wed. Mar. 14 Texas Southern Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Mar. 16 UT Arlington* Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 17 UT Arlington* Beaumont 2 p.m.
Sun. Mar. 18 UT Arlington* Beaumont 1 p.m.
Tue. Mar. 20 Washington Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Wed. Mar. 21 at Rice Houston 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Mar. 23 at Northwestern State* Natchitoches, La. 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 24 at Northwestern State* Natchitoches, La. 2 p.m.
Sun. Mar. 25 at Northwestern State* Natchitoches, La. 1 p.m.
Tue. Mar. 27 Rice Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Mar. 30 Southeastern Louisiana* Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 31 Southeastern Louisiana* Beaumont 2 p.m.
Sun. Apr. 1 Southeastern Louisiana* Beaumont 1 p.m.
Thur. Apr. 5 at Stephen F. Austin* Nacogdoches, Texas 2 p.m.
Fri. Apr. 6 at Stephen F. Austin* Nacogdoches, Texas 2 p.m.
Sat. Apr. 7 at Stephen F. Austin* Nacogdoches, Texas 1 p.m.
Tue. Apr. 10 at Houston Houston 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Apr. 13 Sam Houston State* Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Apr. 14 Sam Houston State* Beaumont 2 p.m.
Sun. Apr. 15 Sam Houston State* Beaumont 1 p.m.
Wed. Apr. 18 at LSU* Baton Rouge, La. 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Apr. 20 at Nicholls Thibodaux, La. 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Apr. 21 at Nicholls* Thibodaux, La. 2 p.m.
Sun. Apr. 22 at Nicholls* Thibodaux, La. 1 p.m.
Tue. Apr. 24 Prairie View A&M Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Apr. 27 McNeese State* Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Apr. 28 McNeese State* Beaumont 2 p.m.
Sun. Apr. 29 McNeese State* Beaumont 1 p.m.
Fri. May 4 at Texas State* San Marcos, Texas 6:30 p.m.
Sat. May 5 at Texas State* San Marcos, Texas 2 p.m.
Sun. May 6 at Texas State* San Marcos, Texas 1 p.m.
Tue. May 8 Houston Baptist Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Fri. May 11 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi* Beaumont 6:30 p.m.
Sat. May 12 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi* Beaumont 2 p.m.
Sun. May 13 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi* Beaumont 1 p.m.
Thur. May 17 at UTSA* San Antonio, Texas 6 p.m.
Fri. May 18 at UTSA* San Antonio, Texas 6 p.m.
Sat. May 19 at UTSA* San Antonio, Texas 1 p.m.
Wed.-Sat. May 23-26 at Southland Conference Tournament San Marcos, Texas
* - Southland Conference Games All Times Central and Subject to Change

[AggiesAreWe]

Now, cue basketball25's bashing of Gilligan and his schedule. ;) ::)

[hipster]

Looks good to me

[AshlyHasBeen]

LOL AAW

A look at the non-conference teams

Portland Pilots (23-31)
3rd West Coast Conference

Arkansas State Red Wolves (27-31)
7th Sun Belt Conference

Gonzaga Bulldogs (32-19)
2nd West Coast Conference

Illinois Fighting Illini (30-27)
1st Big Ten, Big Ten Tournament Champs, Fullerton Regional Finalist

Texas Southern Tigers (25-29)
4th SWAC West

Washington Huskies (17-37)
Last PAC-10

Prairie View A&M Panthers (25-21)
3rd SWAC West

UC-Irvine Anteaters (43-18)
2nd Big West, LA Regional Champ, 1 win from CWS

Baylor Bears (31-28)
5th Big XII, Houston Regional

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (34-27)
3rd WAC

Houston Baptist Huskies (22-40)
3rd Great West

Rice Owls (42-21)
1st CUSA, CUSA Champion, Houston Regional

Houston Cougars (27-32)
4th CUSA

LSU Tigers (36-20)
5th SEC West

[puddin tane]

[quote name="AggiesAreWe" post="1068498" timestamp="1317245664"]
Now, cue basketball25's bashing of Gilligan and his schedule. ;) ::)
[/quote]

he aint ever happy..........

[ForeverADog]

Good schedule. Should be better than last year!

[Guest baseball25]

Hey I am a realist, the last couple of yrs the schedule has been weak!!! but this yrs I like it alot, good job by coach G realizing that the southland conf is getting tougher and he needs to play tougher teams to prepare them for conference play!!! Gonzaga, Illinois going to be some good game zaga can flat out swing the stick!!

[AshlyHasBeen]

[quote name="basketball25" post="1068929" timestamp="1317316366"]
Hey I am a realist, the last couple of yrs the schedule has been weak!!! but this yrs I like it alot, good job by coach G realizing that the southland conf is getting tougher and he needs to play tougher teams to prepare them for conference play!!! Gonzaga, Illinois going to be some good game zaga can flat out swing the stick!!
[/quote]

I really thought the Zags got a raw deal last year not getting into regionals despite finishing 1 game back in their conference plus owning wins over

Texas A&M, UC-Irvine (3), San Diego (3) and Pepperdine (2)

I know 32-19 isn't mind blowing but I still thought they were deserving.

[TradinUp BH]

Awesome schedule!!! That's right where they need to be on scheduling IMHO. Good job!