Baseball announces 2010 schedule

Photo by: Laurence Martinez

WHITTIER, Calif. - Head coach Mike Rizzo and the Whittier College baseball team announced its 2010 schedule this afternoon. The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference changed its format which will see the Poets play 28 conference games instead of the usual 21.

Whittier opens its season against a familiar foe in Chapman University. Last season the Poets upset the preseason No. 3 team in the country by taking the series, 2-1. The Panthers are one of five teams on the purple and gold's schedule that advanced to the NCAA Division III Regional and the only team to play in the 2009 World Serires.

The four other regional qualifiers from last year include George Fox, Ithaca, Pomona-Pitzer and Cal Lutheran. Whittier will take on George Fox in Anthem, Ariz., on February 14 in the last game of a four game trip to the Grand Canyon State.

Whitman, Linfield and Pacific Lutheran are the other three teams on tap for Whittier in Arizona.

Rizzo and company open conference play with the defending SCIAC champions, Pomona-Pitzer, on February 19 and 20. The Poets will face La Verne, Caltech and Cal Lutheran in consecutive series before rounding out its non-conference schedule.

Principia visits Whittier on March 17 and Rutgers-Newark, Ithaca and Puget Sound will take part in the California Invitational on March 20 and 21.

Series with Claremont-M-S, Redlands and Occidental will be played before the addition of the seven games in conference take place.

In all, Whittier will play 18 home games, 15 on the road and four at a neutral site.

Last season Whittier finished 12-28 with a 5-16 mark in conference play.