UTB-TSC News: Scorpions to play 54-game schedule in 2012
The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College will begin its 2012 baseball season with 11 straight home games and will play 29 of its 54 regular-season games at home.
The Scorpions will start the season with a four-game home series against Doane College (Neb.) from Jan. 26 through 28, marking the first time Doane will visit South Texas in baseball.
"I really like the way the schedule shaped up," Scorpions coach Bryan Aughney said. "We have a quality opponent coming down in Doane – a team that beat us last year and I know they return a lot of guys, including a pre-season all American pitcher. So right out of the gates we have a tough test. I know they along with UH-Victoria received votes in the pre-season pole so we better be sharp to start the year off."
Doane knocked off UTB-TSC 9-2 in a 2010 NAIA national championship opening-round game.
Included in the home schedule is the first visit by NCAA Division I member. The University of Texas-Pan American heads to Scorpion Field on Feb. 28. The Scorpions and Broncs have met twice in each of the last three years, but have never played in Brownsville. UTPA leads the series 6-0. The Scorpions and Broncs also will play Feb. 21 and April 17 in Edinburg.
UTB-TSC will also play NCAA Division II members Texas A&M University-Kingsville three times, including one at Scorpion Field, and a home-and-home series against Texas A&M International.
"We have no gimmies on the schedule," Aughney said. "That's one thing we have talked about a lot – going out a preparing each game the same, no matter the opponent. We must control what we can and take care of our preparation each day, each week."
Fisher College (Mass.) returns for its annual Spring Break series of games against UTB-TSC. The Falcons will play at Scorpion Field for five games March 10 through 14.
The Scorpions will begin Red River Athletic Conference play Feb. 10 with a three-game home series against Southwestern Assemblies of God University on Feb. 10 and 11. They finish conference and regular season play with a three-game home series against University of the Southwest on April 20 and 21. Right before the final three-game homestand, the Scorpions will have their longest stretch of road games - 16 games.
Louisiana State University-Shreveport, which advanced to the 2010 NAIA College World Series, is the defending conference champion. The Pilots are ranked No. 6 in the preseason NAIA coaches top 25 poll.
LSU-S is the preseason favorite in the RRAC coaches poll, with Northwood University second, UTB-TSC third and Texas Wesleyan fourth.
"Conference wise, I expect everyone will be improved, each year we seem to raise the level of play in the RRAC which is great," Aughney said. " All of these teams (LSU-S, NU, and TWU) will be very tough again this season."
UTB-TSC is coming off its most successful season since joining the NAIA. The Scorpions went 35-26 in 2010, and placed second in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament to LSUS. The Scorpions qualified for the opening roun dof the NAIAs for a second straight year.
In three years as coach, Aughney's teams have improved their record each time, going 28-31 in 2009, 31-24 in 2010, and 35-26 in 2011. Aughney's three-year record is 94-81 (.537).
"I believe we are coming off of one of our best fall semesters as a unit," Aughney said. "For the most part we are healthy, and I know the guys are ready to get things started. As always we have high expectations for ourselves and we are hungry to get things rolling."
