Nov. 13, 2002
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Highlighted by the earliest start in school history, an opening Big 12 Conference series against the defending NCAA National Champions, and 15 contests against five squads that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year, the University of Missouri baseball team and head coach Tim Jamieson announced the 2003 schedule today.
The 2003 slate will open on Friday, Feb. 6, which is believed to be the earliest start in MU history, for a three-game series at Colonial Athletic Association member North Carolina-Wilmington.
The Tigers open their home schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 25, with a 4 p.m. game against Central Methodist College. That contest begins a 10-game non-conference homestand, the longest stretch of the season. In all, 26 of Mizzou's 56 games are scheduled for the friendly confines of Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field.
Mizzou's non-conference schedule is highlighted by a pair of late-season wood-bat games at T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Mo. The Tigers will face Saint Louis on Tuesday, April 29, and will then extend the traditional Braggin' Rights battles in football and basketball onto the diamond by playing Illinois in O'Fallon the following Tuesday, May 6.
Other non-conference games include home-and-home contests with Southeast Missouri State (March 11 and April 30), Southwest Missouri State (April 15 and 22) and Illinois State (March 19 and 26).
All 15 of Missouri's games against NCAA Tournament teams from last year will take place as part of the Tigers' Big 12 Conference schedule, which opens on Friday, March 14 at the home of the defending NCAA Champions, the University of Texas. Four of Missouri's Big 12 opponents - Kansas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Oklahoma - will play at Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field, while Mizzou will go on the road to face Kansas State, Nebraska, Baylor, Oklahoma State, and the Longhorns. In addition to UT, Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas Tech all represented the league in the 64-team NCAA field.
A total of 57 games are listed on the schedule, which is one over the NCAA limit of 56 games in a season. However, inclement weather has traditionally forced the cancellation of at least one MU game each year, so the staff has scheduled an additional game in anticipation of such an occurrence. Should the Tigers be able to play all of their early-season games, a non-conference game toward the end of the season would then have to be canceled.
For ticket information on the 2003 season, please contact the MU Ticket Office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in Mid-Missouri).