Air Force Announces 2004 Baseball Schedule
12/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Dec. 10, 2003
2004 Schedule in PDF Format
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USAF Academy, Colo. - Nineteen opponents, totalling 54 regular-season games, highlight the 2004 Air Force Falcon baseball schedule, released today by Academy athletics officials.
"Looking at our schedule it is both challenging and exciting," new head coach Mike Hutcheon said. "With a very young team and a new coaching staff we wanted to set up our schedule so we play on the road early and find ourselves. Then head into April with a long home stand and an identity."
The Falcons open their season at New Mexico State for the second time in the last three years, playing the Aggies in a three-game set beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 7, followed by a single game on Sunday.
Air Force returns home to open their home schedule with a three-way series with Southern Utah and Creighton the following weekend of Feb. 14-15.
The following two weekends will see the Falcons hit the road as they take part in the Service Academy Tournament in Millington, Tenn., for the weekend of Feb. 27-29, and then to Lubbock, Texas, where they will take on Texas Tech (March 5 doubleheader) and Harvard (March 6-7). At the Service Academy Classic, AFA will take on Kentucky (Feb. 27), Navy (Feb. 28) and Murray State (Feb. 29).
Air Force concludes its non-conference home schedule with a three-game set against Northern Colorado, which is playing its inaugural season as a Div. I program, March 12-14. AFA also plays UNC in Greeley, Colo., on March 16 and 30 (DH).
"I am very pleased with our non-conference opponents," Hutcheon said. "Most importantly it prepares us for the competitive Mountain West Conference and gives us a measuring stick for us to analyze our play as we progress throughout the year. My goal is for our team to be playing the best ball at the end of the season and we feel that the schedule is set up for that."
For spring break, the Falcons will play nine games against five opponents in a 10 day span. AFA begins its spring break opening Mountain West Conference play at San Diego State from March 19-22. During the week, the Falcons take on Point Loma (March 22), UC Riverside (March 23) and UC San Diego (March 24) and conclude the weekend with three-game conference series at 2003 MWC Tournament Champion UNLV (March 26-28).
After playing 23 of their first 29 games on the road, the month of April has the Falcons playing 15 of their 17 games at home. Air Force hosts three-game conference sets against Utah (April 2-4), San Diego State (April 8-10), New Mexico (April 16-18), BYU (April 22-24) and UNLV (April 30-May 2). The lone April road trip for the Falcons will be to Norman, Okla., where AFA will take on both Western Illinois and host Oklahoma for their final non-conference games on April 13.
Air Force wraps up the 2004 conference and regular season with three consecutive road trips in May, taking on Utah (May 7-9), New Mexico (May 14-16) and BYU (May 20-22).
This year's Mountain West Conference Championships will be held in Las Vegas, Nev., at Earl E. Wilson Stadium on the campus of UNLV from May 26-29.
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