Pilots Unveil 2008 Baseball Schedule
November 16, 2007
Shreveport, La. - LSUS baseball head coach Rocke Musgraves announced the Pilots 2008 schedule Friday. The 55-game regular season slate includes 30 games at Pilot Field, including a non-conference doubleheader versus the NAIA Preseason #18 Texas Wesleyan Rams on Mar. 4.
"I am extremely excited about the schedule that we have been able to put together for the 2008 season," said Musgraves. "Our non-conference schedule features NCAA Division-1 Houston Baptist University, NCAA Division-2 perennial power Southern Arkansas and a home-and-away doubleheader with Texas Wesleyan who is ranked #18 in the NAIA."
The Pilots open the 2008 season with eight consecutive road games, starting with a three-game conference series Jan. 26-27 against Loyola in New Orleans. The Pilots will then travel to Mobile Feb. 1-2 for three more games against a GCAC opponent, Spring Hill College.
"The GCAC will be as tough as ever, which will make for a very challenging opening week for our baseball team," added Musgraves. "It's tough enough to start the season on the road, much less beginning it with two conference opponents on their home turf. It definitely adds excitement to the start of the season, knowing that you are playing for a conference title right out of the gate."
Following the two conference series to open the season, the Pilots will face NCAA Division-1 newcomer Houston Baptist University in a doubleheader on Feb. 5. The HBU Huskies, formerly of the NAIA, finished last season 43-21 and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA World Series.
The Pilots open up their 2008 home schedule with a 12 game home stand, beginning with the 2007 GCAC regular season champion Belhaven Blazers on Feb. 8-9. Louisiana College will visit Pilot Field on Feb. 12, while Tougaloo College will come to Shreveport for a three-game conference weekend series versus the Pilots on Feb. 15-16. A non-conference doubleheader with perennial NCAA Division-2 power Southern Arkansas (Feb. 19) and a three-game series with LSU-Alexandria (Feb. 22-23) round out the home stand.
Following the home stand, the Pilots will travel to Hattiesburg for three games versus conference rival William Carey University (Feb. 29-Mar. 1).
After a brief visit to Pilot Field by the aforementioned Texas Wesleyan Rams, the Pilots will once again hit the road for another GCAC weekend series. The University of Mobile will host the Pilots for one game on Friday and two more games on Saturday, Mar. 8.
The Pilots return to Shreveport for a six-game home stand that includes two GCAC rematches versus Loyola on Mar. 15-16 and Spring Hill on Mar. 21-26, but not before the LSUS Alumni game on Friday, Mar. 14.
On Mar. 25, LSUS will travel down I-49 to face LSUA for the fourth and fifth time on the 2008 season, before returning home the next day to play Texas College of the Red River Conference.
The Pilots will then begin an eight-game road swing at Belhaven on Mar. 28-29 for what could be a very pivotal GCAC weekend series in determining this year's conference champion.
Following the always tough conference series with Belhaven, things don't get any easier for the Pilots on the road as they travel to Fort Worth for a doubleheader versus Texas Wesleyan on Apr. 1. LSUS will conclude the road swing after three games at Tougaloo on Apr. 4-5.
LSUS will play host to Wiley College on Apr. 8 and travel to Pineville on Apr. 14 for another game with Louisiana College before returning home to close out the regular season with eight consecutive games at Pilot Field.
The Pilots will begin the home stand with another three-game series versus the William Carey Crusaders on Apr. 18-19. Northwood University will visit for a doubleheader on Apr. 22, with the University of Mobile coming in for the final conference series of the season on Apr. 25-26.
The 2008 GCAC Tournament is scheduled for Apr. 30-May 3 in Mobile.
The 2008 Region XIII Tournament will begin on May 6 at a site to be determined.
