2013 CU Baseball Schedule | @Camel_Baseball
BUIES CREEK, N.C.-In state contests with NC State, Duke and East Carolina, plus 37 home games and a full Big South Conference slate highlight the 2013 Campbell baseball schedule.
"Coming off such a great year last year with all those great crowds, it's a tremendous opportunity to come home and be able to play almost 40 home games in Buies Creek," said Campbell head coach Greg Goff. "It will be a great opportunity for our fans and our community to come out and watch us play. We've had a lot of success here, and we're lucky to be able to bring all these teams here. There's no place like home."
The Camels will kick off the season on Feb. 15 with a three game series against Eastern Michigan at the new Jim Perry Stadium. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, the team heads to Greenville, N.C. to take on in-state rival East Carolina. The Pirates will make the return trip to Buies Creek on March 13.
"We have East Carolina back on the schedule," said Goff. "That should be a great series. To only have to drive an hour or so, our kids don't have to miss class. It's really a blessing to have so many schools in North Carolina that are Division I to play midweek and get great competition."
Campbell will also host ACC member Duke again in 2013, welcoming the Blue Devils on March 26. The Camels also travel to Duke on Feb. 27 and to NC State on March 6.
"It's a big advantage for us to have all the in-state schools come in," said Goff. "In baseball, most teams will play you home and home too, which is great. When you get ACC and Conference USA teams to come in; you don't get that opportunity in most sports. We're blessed for the opportunity and I'm very thankful for those teams to come here and play us."
The Camels will host the Campbell Invitational Feb. 22-24, which will include three games in three days. Campbell also host Lafayette and Fairleigh Dickenson before opening Big South play on the road at Gardner-Webb on March 15.
"Every weekend is a battle in the league," said Goff. "Because of the proximity of all of the schools, it is very competitive. You get to have some rivalries, even playing against kids that you recruited. It's a challenge. There are no guarantees and no off weekends in this league. The coaches do a fantastic job preparing."
After returning home for a mid-week two-game set with Rider, the Camels head back into Big South road play with a series at UNC Asheville on March 22-24.
The team makes its Big South home debut on Friday, March 29 against Radford. Campbell also travels to Presbyterian (April 5-7) and High Point (May 3-5) in conference play.
The Camels will host Longwood (April 12-13), VMI (April 19-20) and Liberty (May 10-11) in Big South weekend series.
In mid-week action, Campbell plays home and home with North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central, while hosting UNC Greensboro. The Camels also head to the College of Charleston on May 7.
On April 27, CU kicks off a three game series with Bethune-Cookman with a Saturday doubleheader, followed by a single game on Sunday in Buies Creek.
Campbell closes the regular season with a three game slate with New Orleans, May 16-18.
The 2013 Big South Baseball Championships will be held May 21-25 at Liberty.
"I think the schedule is great," said Goff. "Coach McCarty did a lot of work with it. You don't get all of these home games without working hard, maneuvering and working with a lot of people. I'm so thankful that our kids can stay in class. We're not going to be away from home a lot. The opportunity for us to get in a routine with so many home games is great for our guys."
The Fighting Camels broke 10 single season team records in 2012, including a program-best 41 overall wins. Campbell also produced several new program highs with games played (59), at-bats (2038) and sacrifice hits (60), finishing 2012 with a national top-10 team ranking in batting average, runs scored, hits, stolen bases, on base percentage and hit by pitch.
Campbell's return to the Big South Conference was highlighted by the club leading the league in hitting with a .314 batting average en route to a 15-9 second place regular season finish. The Camels also boasted a 23-3 start and an 18-game winning streak, both marking the best in CU program history.
