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Program Announces 2010 Schedule, Details On Verge Of New Year
Posted: 12/21/2009
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Third-year head coach Bryan Engle has again put together a demanding schedule for his ballclub.

Grantham, PA — Third-year head coach Bryan Engle has released the 2010 spring schedule for the Messiah baseball team, the school announced Monday.

Similar to the past two seasons under Engle’s leadership, the Falcons will once again play a demanding slate.

Messiah will face 14 opponents who had 20-win seasons a year ago and 12 games against teams that made the 2009 NCAA Tournament. In addition, 16 of Messiah’s opponents played in their conference tournaments while five won their respective conference championships last season. One opponent, Shenandoah University, won their NCAA Regional to advance to the ’09 NCAA Division III World Series.

“I am pleased with our schedule for the spring,” said Engle, a 2003 Messiah graduate. “We have traditionally played a very strong non-conference schedule and this is certainly no exception this year as we take on some high-quality opponents. I am firm believer in playing a strong out-of-conference schedule so that it prepares us well for our conference season.”

The 2010 roster of 31 players is one mixed with experience and youth. The Falcons have added 11 new faces to the program while eight seniors will play their final season for Messiah, attempting to regain the Commonwealth Championship Messiah captured in Engle’s first season, 2008.

Messiah begins its season with a three-weekend Virginia swing on Saturday, February 13 at Mary Washington University. The following Saturday’s, the Falcons travel to Eastern Mennonite University and Bridgewater College, respectively.

A customary early-March game at perennial national power, Johns Hopkins University, is Messiah’s next match-up on Thursday, Mar. 4. On the weekend, the Falcons will travel to Catholic University to face the Cardinals in a doubleheader, the two games a commonplace theme through the Falcons first four Saturdays. Only the JHU game is a scheduled single-game, nine-inning affair.

Messiah’s first taste of their home field will take place on Tuesday, Mar. 9, against Franklin and Marshall College, just two days before the Falcons leave for their spring break trip to Winter Haven, Fla., just southwest of Orlando.

On the spring break trip, the Falcons will take on regional opponents Misericordia University and Clarkson University (NY) in their opening games. Messiah will face Misericordia on Friday, March 12 and Clarkson in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 13. After an off-day on Sunday, a Monday doubleheader is scheduled against UMass-Dartmouth. The Falcons final Florida game will occur on Tuesday, March 16 against Salem State (MA).

Upon returning back to Pennsylvania, Messiah will open up Commonwealth play with a three-game series against conference rival Widener University on Friday, Mar. 19 and Saturday, Mar. 20. Similar to all Commonwealth series, every Friday game is a single nine-inning contest beginning at 3:30 p.m., while Saturday double-dips are two seven-inning games that start at noon.

After Widener in Commonwealth play, in order, Messiah faces Elizabethtown College, conference newcomer Alvernia University, Albright College, Arcadia University and Lebanon Valley College.

“Our conference should have many teams competing for a championship,” said Engle, a former Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year. “Elizabethtown is the defending champion and Alvernia will be a great addition to our conference, having won their conference last season before switching over to ours this year. Mix in Widener University who played in the Commonwealth championship last year and won 21 games and our conference will be tight from top to bottom. Lebanon Valley and Albright both were playoff teams a year ago, as well, and Arcadia will continue to improve. It’s safe to say nobody is an easy match-up in the conference and that bodes well for our conference for whoever advances into the NCAA Tournament.”

Post spring break games in non-conference play include road match-ups at Shenendoah University (Mar. 24) and McDaniel College (Apr. 20).

The home non-conference schedule is plentiful with games as Messiah hosts The College of New Jersey (Mar. 30), York College (Apr. 1), Susquehanna University (Apr. 7), Rowan University (Apr. 13) and Dickinson College (Apr. 27).

Messiah’s season finale is scheduled for the first Saturday in May (May 1), when the Falcons travel to Annville, Pa. for the match-up against Lebanon Valley.

The Commonwealth Tournament is slated for May 6-8 at Owls Field in West Lawn, Pa.. The winner of the tournament will receive the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Tournament, with NCAA Regionals set to begin on Wednesday, May 19.

Messiah’s 2010 schedule is available at both the baseball schedule page and the main GoMessiah.com schedule page. A printable, pdf-version of the slate is available at the latter.