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 Western Carolina first-year head coach Bobby Moranda released his 2008 schedule, which features 11 games against NCAA tournament teams from a year ago. |
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Nov. 21, 2007
2008 Western Carolina Catamount Baseball Schedule 
Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina first-year head coach Bobby Moranda today unveiled his schedule for 2008, which includes 11 games against NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, 25 home games including the annual home-and-home series with perennial power, Clemson, and mountain-rival UNC Asheville and early-season tournament appearances at both Coastal Carolina and Rice, both of which hosted a regional last year.
The season will culminate with the 2008 Bennett Hofford Family of Hotels Southern Conference Baseball Championships at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C., home of the minor league Charleston River Dogs.
"Our schedule is obviously very challenging," said Moranda, who took over the reigns of the Catamount program following last season's 42-win and regional finalist season. "A lot of the teams on our schedule had tremendous seasons a year ago and are perennial powers in college baseball. My philosophy wherever I have been is if you want to be the best then you have to play the best. This schedule will help prepare us for Southern Conference play, as well as for post-season tournament play as you learn a lot about your team and your program."
He added, "The condensed schedule this year is forcing a lot of teams to play five games a week. The ability to endure the grind with the balance of academics and travel is what college baseball is all about right now. But this schedule, when you see the opponents we are playing, is very exciting. It is one of the tougher ones you will see across the country. Not only are we facing ranked opponents from last season, many of which are on the road, but the SoCon is traditionally a very strong conference and this year will be no exception."
The Catamounts' schedule features four, No. 1 seeds from last year's NCAA Championship, including Coastal Carolina (March 2), Rice (March 8) which advanced to the Final Four, Vanderbilt (March 11-12) which entered the post-season ranked number one among the top eight national seeds, and South Carolina (April 8). Additionally, five of the Catamounts' 2008 opponents were ranked in the top 20 final Baseball America poll (Rice, No. 3; Vanderbilt, No. 6; South Carolina, No. 10; Clemson No. 15; and Coastal Carolina, No. 20), with Creighton (36th) joining WCU (31st) among the others receiving votes in the final USA Today/ESPN Polls
Western opens its season on Friday, Feb. 22 in the first of four-consecutive meetings with former Southern Conference member, Marshall. The Catamounts lead the all-time series with the Thundering Herd, 35-13, last winning three in a four-game set in 1997. The first three games will be played at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium with the final game leading off WCU's appearance at Coastal Carolina in the Catamounts first of two early-season tournament tests.
WCU will also face George Mason (2-2-1 all-time), West Virginia (0-1), and the host Chanticleers (1-6), who hosted a regional last season after posting a 48-11 regular season record while in Conway, S.C.
The Catamounts second tournament test will come March 6-8 in Houston, Texas, against the likes of first-time foes Michigan State and Creighton, as well as the Rice Owls (0-2 all-time). The latter two opponents each made it into last season's field of 64, with Rice garnering a No. 2 seed.
Sandwiched in between the Coastal Carolina and Rice tournaments is a date with the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta as Moranda squares off against his former squad for the first time. The 10-game road swing will conclude March 11-12 as the Catamounts travel to Nashville, Tenn., to face Vanderbilt, which entered last season's NCAA tournament as the top seed with a 51-11 overall record.
Other non-conference foes to grace Western Carolina's schedule include a three-game home set with Hartford (March 15-16); road games at Georgia (March 18), Gardner-Webb (April 1), South Carolina (April 8), Mercer (April 23) and at Tennessee (April 29) against former head coach, Todd Raleigh. There is also a trio of non-conference home-and-home dates with mountain-rival UNC Asheville (March 26 & April 2), with the latter coming at Asheville's McCormick Field, home of the minor league Asheville Tourists; East Tennessee State (March 25 & May 13); and the traditional home-and-home with Clemson, playing at Clemson first on April 15 before hosting former head coach Jack Leggett and his Tigers a week later on April 22.
The 27-game Southern Conference slate begins on the road in Statesboro, Ga., with the Georgia Southern Eagles (2-2 in 2007) on March 21-23. The Catamounts will also visit Elon (April 11-13, 3-0), Appalachian State (April 18-20, 2-1) and The Citadel (May 9-11, 3-1). Home conference dates include UNC Greensboro (March 28-30, 2-1), Davidson (April 4-6, 3-0), Furman (April 25-27, 2-1), defending tournament champion Wofford (May 2-4, 3-0) and a season-ending, three-game set against the College of Charleston (May 15-17, 0-3).
With the new NCAA scheduling, most teams across the country will be playing a few more mid-week games to try and reach the magical 56-game number.
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