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Baseball to face 22 games against nationally-ranked opponents in 2008

February 6, 2008 on 10:15 pm | In Athletics |

MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois head baseball coach Stan Hyman has announced the 2008 schedule, which includes 22 games against nationally-ranked opponents. The schedule features seven NCAA Tournament participants and one College World Series team from the 2007 season. Opponents include four Big 12 teams, two Big Ten squads, two Big West teams, and one West Coast Conference opponent.

“This is possibly the toughest schedule ever put together at Western,” stated Hyman. “And that’s saying a lot considering the slate we played last year.”

After ending the 2007 season with a record-setting 31-26 mark, their fourth consecutive second-place finish in the Mid-Continent Conference, fifth straight post-season appearance and second consecutive 30-win campaign, the Leathernecks start off the 2008 season with one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

“Hopefully our non-conference schedule will get us ready and possibly put us on the map,” said Coach Hyman. “Nine straight games against Mizzou, Oklahoma, Long Beach State, UC-Irvine, and San Diego to open the season will tell us a lot about this squad.”

The Leathernecks take to the road for their first 15 games of the season, beginning February 23 against Alabama State. March features the toughest stretch of games for Western. Beginning with No. 15 Missouri on March 4, the Leathernecks then battle Big 12 Oklahoma in a four-game series before traveling to California during spring break for games with No. 17 Long Beach State, No. 26 UC-Irvine, No. 7 San Diego, and NAIA Point Loma. After that stretch, Western travels to Big Ten foes Purdue and Iowa.

Friday, March 28, is the scheduled home opener at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium, as Chicago State comes to Macomb for a three-game weekend series.

“I believe our schedule is as competitive as any in Division I,” Hyman, the Mid-Continent Conference 2007 Coach of the Year, continued. “It will definitely prepare us for Summit League play.”

The following weekend opens up Summit League play at home for Western, as Oakland comes in April 4. On April 18, Western will face perhaps its toughest test in league play when it travels to Tulsa, Okla., for a four-game weekend set with defending conference champion Oral Roberts.

“ORU dominated the Mid-Con, but no one’s ever won the Summit League title,” said Hyman, with a laugh. “We might as well be the first champion as we’re the only charter member of the conference still around…But the road to the NCAA Tournament still goes through Tulsa,” noted Hyman. “Rob’s (Walton) got a solid team and a great program. Hopefully we’ll give them a run for the money but it’s going to take three to four solid pitchers to give us a shot. And with the league expanding, 28 conference games will be a challenge.”

Last season the Leathernecks posted wins over Big Ten Northwestern, Iowa, and Purdue. The team also lost one-run contests to Big 12 opponents, Texas Tech, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma (twice).

During Hyman’s seven-year tenure the Leathernecks have fared well in tough non-conference competition, recording wins against nationally ranked teams for the first time in school history. In 2001, the Leathernecks upset Missouri (at Columbia); in 2004, they upended top-20 teams Oklahoma (at Norman) and Oklahoma State (at Stillwater); in 2005, they beat Texas Tech (at Lubbock). Under Hyman, Western set the school record for most wins in a season (32) as a D-I program in 2006. The Leathernecks also have beaten rival Iowa three years in a row.

Originaly from Source