Artigues Announces 2010 Schedule

The Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team released its 2010 schedule this weekend. The Lions will open the season at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field with a three game series against Eastern Illinois, the defending Ohio Valley Conference champions, beginning February 19. This will be the third consecutive season the Lions and Panthers have kicked off in Hammond.

Highlighting the schedule is an early season three game series, beginning February 26, against traditional SEC power Mississippi State in Starkville, MS. The Lions will also welcome 2009 Regional participant, Alabama, to Alumni Field in a mid week clash on April 14. The match up with the Crimson Tide will mark the second consecutive season an SEC team has visited Alumni Field.

The defending national Champions, five NCAA Regional participants, 4 conference champs, and eleven 30 win teams from a year ago are included on the 2010 schedule, making it one of the most competitive slates in the Jay Artigues’ era. The longest home stand will be an 8 game stretch from April 9-18. The Green and Gold’s longest stint away from Alumni Field will be March 17-23 where they will play 5 straight games on the road.

Southland Conference teams who will be visiting “The Pat” are Texas-San Antonio (Mar 12-14), Central Arkansas (Mar 26-28), Texas-Arlington (Apr 9-11), defending SLC champ Texas State (Apr 16-18), defending SLC Tourney champ Sam Houston State (May 7-9), and Northwestern State (May 20-22). Conference road trips include McNeese State (Mar 19-21), Lamar (Apr 1-3), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Apr 23-25), and Stephen F. Austin (May 14-16). The Lions will play two games on the road against Nicholls State (Apr 30 & May 2) sandwiched around one in Hammond on May 1.

The SLC tournament will be held May 26-29 at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, TX. Whataburger Field is home to the Corpus Christi Hooks, the AA affiliate of the Houston Astros.

Louisiana teams included on the non-conference portion of the schedule are home and home series with UL-Lafayette (Mar 3 & Mar 17), Southern (Mar 9 & Apr 27), and Tulane (Mar 30 & Apr 20). The Lions will visit the defending National Champion LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge on May 4.

Other non-conference home games are against Mississippi Valley (Feb 23), Jackson State (Mar 2), a three game series with Texas Southern (Mar 5-7), South Alabama (Mar 24), and Alcorn State (Apr 13). Rounding out the non-conference road trips are Jackson State (Mar 23) and South Alabama (Apr 6).

(Photo taken by Helen Addison)