Temple University Athletics
Six NCAA Qualifiers Highlight 2008 Temple Baseball Schedule
10.18.07 | Baseball
Oct. 18, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - Six NCAA Tournament qualifiers, including four conference champions, highlight the 2008 Temple baseball schedule, third-year head coach Rob Valli announced today. The Owls open their 81st season of varsity competition by visiting MEAC Champion and NCAA participant Bethune-Cookman on February 22. Other NCAA qualifiers from a year ago include Rutgers, St. John's, Charlotte, Monmouth and Lafayette.
"We continue to play a strong non-conference schedule against championship caliber teams," Valli said. "Fortunately, we've created a much more balanced schedule of home and away games (29 home and 27 away) after playing just 15 home games last season. Our goal this year is the same as it will always be--to win the Atlantic 10 Championship."
After the trip to Bethune-Cookman, Temple visits CAA regular season champion Old Dominion beginning on February 29. The Owls make their first venture into mid-week play by traveling to Big East Champion Rutgers (42-21 in 2007) on March 5 and will open the 29-game home portion of the schedule by hosting Wagner on March 7.
Other mid-week highlights include trips to NEC Champion Monmouth (March 26) and Patriot League Champion Lafayette (April 30) and hosting NCAA qualifier St. John's (41-19) on April 8.
Atlantic 10 action kicks off on March 21 with a three-game series at Rhode Island. Temple will travel to Saint Joseph's on March 28 before hosting the next four series. A-10 champion Charlotte (49-12) visits Skip Wilson Field on April 4 for the first time. Duquesne (April 11-13), Richmond (April 18-20), Fordham (April 25-27), and Dayton (May 9-11) also will travel to Ambler, PA for conference series.
TU will also make trips to George Washington (May 2-4) and Saint Louis (May 15-17) in league play. The Atlantic 10 Tournament will be played across the Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden, NJ at Campbell's Field, home of the Atlantic League's Camden Riversharks from May 21-24.
The Owls will also play as many as nine games against Philadelphia Big 5 rivals Penn (March 19), La Salle (March 15 and March 25), Saint Joseph's (March 28-30), Villanova (April 22 and May 13).
The 17th Annual Liberty Bell Classic opens on campus sites on March 25 when the Owls travel to La Salle. The winner will play either Lehigh or Villanova on April 1 with the victor advancing to Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, for the LBC final.
