Golden Eagles Release 2007 Baseball Schedule

[Bogus Smith]

Golden Eagles Release 2007 Baseball Schedule

TULSA, Okla. ? Oral Roberts University baseball head coach Rob Walton has announced the 2007 schedule, which includes eight NCAA Tournament teams from 2006.

The Golden Eagles once again have put together a challenging non-conference schedule. After opening the season with a two-game set against NCAA Division II member Missouri Southern (Feb. 10-11) at J.L. Johnson Stadium, Walton?s club plays 11 straight games against teams which qualified for last year?s postseason.

After the early home set the Golden Eagles travel south to Texas for three straight weekends, beginning with a visit to TCU (Feb. 16-18). ORU plays seven straight games against Big 12 foes with weekend series at Baylor (Feb. 23-25) and Texas (March 2-4), sandwiched around a visit by Kansas to J.L. Johnson Stadium on Feb. 27.

The Golden Eagles host their first three game weekend series versus Central Arkansas, on March 9-11.

Before starting Mid-Continent Conference play, the Golden Eagles will play a home-and-home series with perennial NCAA Regional opponents Arkansas (March 13 and March 27) and Wichita State (April 3 and April 17). ORU also has home weekend series with Penn State (March 15-17) and Bethune-Cookman (March 30-April 1), two trips to the west coast to face California (March 22-24), and Long Beach State (April 5-7), and a mid-week game at Oklahoma State (April 24).

The Golden Eagles open Mid-Con action April 20-22, entertaining Southern Utah in a four-game series. ORU also play host to Valparaiso (April 27-29) and Centenary (May 11-13). The Golden Eagles play road series against Oakland (May 4-6) and Mid-Con Tournament host Western Illinois (May 18-20).

For 2007, conference play has gone from a four-game series which consisted of double-headers on Saturday and Sunday, to a four-game series on three days (Friday-Sunday) with the double-header on Saturday.

Walton?s club is looking to return to postseason play for the tenth straight year, and fourth under his guidance. ORU finished 2006 with a 41-16 record and advanced to NCAA Super Regional play for the first time after sweeping through the Arkansas Regional, defeating Oklahoma State (twice) and Arkansas.

ORU returns six starters and 14 letterwinners from last season. Among the key returnees are Mid-Con Conference Co-Players of the Year, first baseman Chad Rothford (Fresno, Calif.) and pitcher Chris Ashman (Hemet, Calif.). Ashman has already received three preseason honors; being named to the Roger Clemens Award and Wallace Award Watch Lists as well as second-team All-American by the NCBWA.

http://orugoldeneagles.com/doc_lib/2007 ... hedule.pdf