Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. – A historic 14-game homestand in March and a match-up with Big 12 foe Kansas State highlight the 2010 University of Delaware baseball schedule that was announced today by head coach Jim Sherman.

Delaware, which is coming off a 28-20 season that saw the squad advance to the third day of the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association tournament, will open up the regular season with six games on the road before embarking on their lengthy homestand.

The Blue Hens will kick off the 2010 campaign with a four-team, round-robin tournament in Charleston, South Carolina from February 19-21. The squad will begin the competition with a game on Friday against national power Kansas State, who finished last season ranked 22nd in the nation after reaching the NCAA Regionals. Following the opener, the squad will battle The Citadel on Saturday and East Tennessee State on Sunday.

The next weekend, Delaware will square off with local rival Maryland in College Park for a three-game series beginning on February 26.

Beginning on March 2, the Blue Hens will remain in Newark for 14 games over the span of 22 days. The homestand, which eclipses the previous record of 13 straight home contests in 2005, will begin with a Tuesday showdown with Saint Joseph’s beginning at 2:30 p.m. Later, the team will face Manhattan for a four-game series from March 5-7 before battling Holy Cross for three games on March 13 and 14.

After hosting intrastate rival Delaware State on March 16, Delaware will face Fairleigh Dickinson for four games from March 19-21 before wrapping up the home stretch against Wilmington University on March 23.

Three days later, the Blue Hens will open up conference action with a three-game set at William & Mary beginning on March 26. Following the short road swing, Delaware will return home for eight games, including the first round of the Liberty Bell Classic against Lafayette on March 30, a three-game set with Canisius from April 2-3, and the beginning of the CAA home slate with UNC Wilmington from April 9-11.

After battling Delaware State in Dover on April 13 and Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia the following day, the Hens will host Towson on April 16-18 before welcoming Temple to town on April 20.

The CAA action heats up over the remaining month of the season with 15 of the team’s last 17 contests coming against conference foes. The Blue Hens will travel to George Mason for three games from April 23-25, and following a home game against Rutgers on April 27, the squad will return to the road for a series against James Madison beginning on April 30.

After a brief trip to Ambler for the final non-conference game of the season against Temple on May 5, Delaware will host Hofstra for three games from May 7-9 before traveling to Old Dominion for a set starting on May 14.

The Blue Hens will wrap up the regular season at home with three games against Northeastern from May 21-23. The CAA tourney will begin the following week on May 27.

Delaware will be led into action by a strong nucleus of returning letterwinners. Third baseman Carlos Alonso (above) headlines the group after earning second team All-CAA honors following a year that saw him rank among the top-10 in the conference in batting average, on-base percentage, hits, runs, and doubles.

Ryan Cuneo and Pat Dameron will also help bolster the potent Delaware attack. Cuneo ranked second in the conference with 17 home runs and eighth with 56 RBI last season. Dameron also ranked among the league leaders with a .475 on-base percentage and a .362 batting average.

The pitching staff also looks strong with the return of Brian Rorick and Rich O’Donald. Rorick, a rising senior, was named the team’s 2009 Pitcher of the Year after leading the conference with 95 strikeouts over 91 innings of work. O’Donald, who earned a spot on the CAA All-Rookie team, finished an outstanding freshman season that saw him hold opposing hitters to a .244 batting average – the third best mark in the CAA.

The team will be guided by head coach Jim Sherman, who begins his 10th year at the helm of the Blue Hen program.

AGATE:

2010 University of Delaware Baseball Schedule:

February: 19 vs. Kansas State (at Charleston, S.C.); 20 at The Citadel; 21 vs. East Tennessee State (at Charleston, S.C.); 26 at Maryland; 27 at Maryland; 28 at Maryland.

March: 2 vs. Saint Joseph’s, 2:30 p.m.; 5 vs. Manhattan, 2:30 p.m.; 6 vs. Manhattan (DH), 2:30 p.m.; 7 vs. Manhattan, 1 p.m.; 13 vs. Holy Cross (DH), 12 noon; 14 vs. Holy Cross, 1 p.m.; 16 vs. Delaware State, 2:30 p.m.; 19 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 2:30 p.m.; 20 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (DH), 12 noon; 21 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 1 p.m.; 23 vs. Wilmington, 3 p.m.; 26 at William & Mary; 27 at William & Mary, 28 at William & Mary; 30 vs. Lafayette (LBC 1st round), 3 p.m.

April: 2 vs. Canisius; 3 vs. Canisius (DH); 6 vs. LBC 2nd round; 9 vs. UNCW, 3 p.m.; 10 vs. UNCW, 1 p.m.; 11 vs. UNCW, 1 p.m.; 13 at Delaware State; 14 at Saint Joseph’s, 3:30 p.m.; 16 vs. Towson, 3 p.m.; 17 vs. Towson, 1 p.m.; 18 vs. Towson, 1 p.m.; 20 vs. Temple; 23 at George Mason, 3 p.m.; 24 at George Mason, 1 p.m.; 25 at George Mason, 1 p.m.; 27 vs. Rutgers, 3 p.m.; 30 at James Madison.

May: 1 at James Madison; 2 at James Madison; 5 at Temple; 7 vs. Hofstra, 3 p.m.; 8 vs. Hofstra, 1 p.m.; 9 vs. Hofstra, 1 p.m.; 14 at Old Dominion; 15 at Old Dominion; 16 at Old Dominion; 21 vs. Northeastern, 3 p.m.; 22 vs. Northeastern, 1 p.m.; 23 vs. Northeastern, 1 p.m.; 27-29, CAA Tournament.