For Immediate Release: Monday, 27 October 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240
BRONCS SET 2004 BASEBALL SCHEDULE
EDINBURG, TX-A 30-game home schedule, an outstanding list of opponents that
includes numerous regional powers, and an outstanding field for the second annual
UTPA/Al Ogletree Classic are among the highlights of The University of Texas-Pan
American's 2004 baseball schedule.
Texas-Pan American will begin the season with six consecutive home games, hosting
Texas State-San Marcos (formerly Southwest Texas State) of the Southland Conference
on opening weekend. The Broncs will host TSU Saturday, January 31st at 7:00
p.m. and the next afternoon at 12 noon.
The following weekend, the Broncs will host the second annual UTPA/Al Ogletree
Classic. The classic will honor longtime Bronc Head Coach Al Ogletree, who retired
after the 1997 season after having won more games than any other NCAA Division
I coach in his 39 seasons. Lamar of the Southland Conference, which advanced
to the NCAA Regional Finals, will join Big 12 Conference Tournament participant
Kansas and Sam Houston State of the Southland Conference at the tournament.
There will be a fireworks display Saturday night.
In-state rival Texas A&M-Kingsville will visit Edinburg for single games February 3rd and 17th. Pacific Northwest power Washington State of the Pacific 10 will visit the Edinburg Baseball Stadium at the end of February, playing a three-game series February 27th, 28th and 29th.
The Broncs have 10 home games in March. Southeast Conference power Arkansas visits Edinburg for a two-game series March 6th and 7th, while Texas-San Antonio and Texas-Arlington of the Southland Conference will visit in mid-March. The Roadrunners come to Edinburg for three games March 12th to 14th, while UTA visits March 16th and 17th. Mid-Continent Conference champion Oral Roberts visits the Broncs March 19th, 20th and 21st to conclude the eight-game home stand.
Texas-Pan American will play seven home games in April, beginning with a doubleheader against in-state rival Texas A&M-Corpus Christi April 9th. UTSA comes to the Edinburg Baseball Stadium for a two-game series April 13th and 14th, and fellow Division I independent Dallas Baptist will play a three-game series April 23rd and 24th.
Southeastern Louisiana of the Southland Conference will visit UTPA for the final home series of the season May 7th, 8th and 9th. The Broncs will recognize their seniors at the final home game.
The Broncs will also renew their rivalry with Reynosa of the Mexican League. This year's contest is set for Wednesday, March 3rd in Reynosa.
The road schedule includes games against several regional and national powers. In addition to traveling to face Lamar, Sam Houston State, UTSA, Dallas Baptist and Arkansas, UTPA will visit Texas of the Big 12, which won the NCAA championship in 2002 and advanced to the College World Series last season. The Broncs will also visit Pac 10 power Arizona for three games April 16th, 17th and 18th, and conclude their season at Big 12 power Oklahoma May 14th, 15th and 16th. Texas-Pan American will also renew their rivalry with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi when they visit the Islanders for a doubleheader March 9th.
"This schedule is much more challenging than last year's," said UTPA Head Coach Willie Gawlik. "We're very excited, because of the caliber of teams that we're going to play. Arkansas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Oral Roberts, Texas and Lamar were all in the NCAA playoffs last year, and a lot of the teams we're playing were also in their conference playoffs. Dallas Baptist is a first-year Division I team, and they won the National Christian College Athletic Association championship, so they're a good team as well."
Gawlik said that the schedule is designed to help the Broncs be successful. "I've always wanted to play a schedule like this," said Gawlik. "When I was here (as a player), we did it, and it makes you a better team. The way the NCAA works, to qualify for the playoffs, everything is based on your power rating, so you have to play a strong schedule to be considered."
The list of teams visiting Edinburg is an outstanding one. "We'll open against Texas State, and then we'll have an exciting tournament," said Gawlik. "Coach Ogletree will be here to throw out the first pitch for the tournament. Washington State will come here, and it's an opportunity for them to come south and play in warm weather. We're playing Arkansas, and we're going to start playing them on a regular basis, and Oral Roberts was a regional qualifier last year. We also have UTSA, UTA and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi coming in. We have a lot of good teams on our schedule. It gives us an opportunity to gain national recognition. For us to get to where we want to be, we have to play this type of schedule."
The Broncs will play their annual Green and White game this Saturday at 12:45
p.m. at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
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