Big East/Big Ten Challenge Schedule Announced
10/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 4, 2011
PITTSBURGH - The Big East and Big Ten conferences have released the schedule for the fourth annual Big Ten/Big East Baseball Challenge. The 2012 Challenge will feature 10 teams from the Big Ten and nine teams from the Big East playing 30 games over three days to open the college baseball season from Feb. 17-19.
“We look forward, once again, to the Big East/Big 10 Challenge,” said Pitt head coach Joe Jordano. “We have a very competitive schedule at the Challenge and will be tested very quickly during our opening weekend.”
In addition to the Panthers, the 2012 Challenge will feature Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Notre Dame, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF and West Virginia from the Big East and Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue from the Big Ten.
The event will be played at current and former Major League facilities in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, including Bright House Field and Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, the respective spring homes of the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays. Games will also be played at Clearwater’s Jack Russell Memorial Stadium and St. Petersburg’s Al Lang Stadium and Walter Fuller Baseball Complex.
Pitt will open play with a pair of games on Friday, Feb. 17. The Panthers have a 1 p.m. game with Iowa at Al Lang Stadium and a 7:30 p.m. matchup with Michigan at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. They will continue action on Saturday against Northwestern at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium. And wrap up their portion of the event Sunday versus Indiana at Walter Fuller Complex.
The Panthers finished with a 2-1 record in last year’s Challenge. They topped Illinois, 7-6, and Iowa, 3-2 in 11 innings. They fell to Purdue, 5-3.
The Big East has won the previous two Challenge’s. The conference posted a 14-10 record in 2011 and a 17-13 mark in 2010.
2012 Big Ten-Big East Baseball Challenge Schedule
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2012
10 a.m. West Virginia vs. Northwestern Al Lang Stadium
Louisville vs. Minnesota Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
USF vs. Ohio State Walter Fuller Complex
1 p.m. Pittsburgh vs. Iowa Al Lang Stadium
Cincinnati vs. Purdue Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Notre Dame vs. Illinois Walter Fuller Complex
4 p.m. Connecticut vs. Indiana Al Lang Stadium
St. John’s vs. Michigan State Florida Auto Exchange Stadium
Seton Hall vs. Penn State Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh vs. Michigan Florida Auto Exchange Stadium
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2012
10 a.m. Indiana vs. Cincinnati Al Lang Stadium
Notre Dame vs. Iowa Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Connecticut vs. Purdue Walter Fuller Complex
1 p.m. Seton Hall vs. Michigan Al Lang Stadium
Michigan State vs. USF Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Minnesota vs. St. John’s Walter Fuller Complex
4 p.m. Louisville vs. Illinois Al Lang Stadium
West Virginia vs. Penn State Bright House Field
Northwestern vs. Pittsburgh Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
7:30 p.m. Ohio State vs. Seton Hall Bright House Field
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2012
10 a.m. Purdue vs. Notre Dame Al Lang Stadium
Illinois vs. St. John’s Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Minnesota vs. West Virginia Walter Fuller Complex
Penn State vs. Cincinnati Walter Fuller Complex
Michigan State vs. Louisville Walter Fuller Complex
1 p.m. Minnesota vs. USF Al Lang Stadium
Ohio State vs. Connecticut Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Iowa vs. West Virginia Walter Fuller Complex
Indiana vs. Pittsburgh Walter Fuller Complex
Northwestern vs. Seton Hall Walter Fuller Complex
All times ET
Home teams listed second
Challenge sites: Al Lang Stadium (St. Petersburg, Fla.); Florida Auto Exchange Stadium (Dunedin, Fla.); Bright House Field (Clearwater, Fla.); Jack Russell Memorial Stadium (Clearwater, Fla.); Walter Fuller Complex (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
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