MILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team has unveiled its 2012 schedule, according to fourth-year head coach Dave Reinemann. The Warriors' schedule features a spring break trip to Florida and four opponents mentioned in the 2012 D3baseball.com/NCBWA Preseason Top 25 poll.
"We are excited about our 2012 schedule," says Reinemann. "It allows us to play quality teams in Florida, renew some matchups with non-conference teams in our area and provides us with a competitive NAC lineup."
The Warriors (19-21, 10-12 NAC) begin their season with an annual spring break trip. Similar to a season ago, WLC will travel to Fort Myers, Fla. to play nine games in a six-day span at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.
Wisconsin Lutheran begins its trip March 12 by playing a twinbill with Gettysburg (Pa.) (12-23). The Warriors also play doubleheaders against Thiel (Pa.) (19-19) March 13, Salve Regina (R.I.) (21-21) March 15 and Salem State (Mass.) (16-20) March 16 while in the Sunshine State.
Concluding the season-opening trip will be a single game against Augustana (Ill.) (28-12) March 17. The Vikings are the first of four teams on the Warriors' schedule who are receiving votes in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Preseason Top 25 poll.
When Wisconsin Lutheran returns home from Florida, the slate does not get any easier as it travels to Chicago, Ill. March 24 for a doubleheader against North Park (30-12), another team receiving votes in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Preseason Top 25 poll. The following day, WLC hosts Carroll (12-21) for two games in its home opener at Neumann Family Field.
The end of March marks the beginning of conference play for the Warriors when they host Marian (15-21, 11-11 NAC) March 31. The next day, April 1, WLC travels to Mequon, Wis. where it will play the first NAC games at the new Kapco Park against rival Concordia Wisconsin (18-23, 14-8).
A non-conference twinbill with Beloit (27-12) April 3 comes before two league doubleheaders as Wisconsin Lutheran hosts MSOE (9-28, 5-17 NAC) April 7 and travels to Dominican (9-31, 6-16) April 9. The Warriors play a single game against NCAA Division I Wis.-Milwaukee (28-28-1) April 11 at Henry Aaron Field.
The weekend of April 14-15 features two more NAC doubleheaders as the Warriors make a Saturday trip to Lakeland (16-19, 11-11 NAC). The following day, April 15, WLC hosts Edgewood (18-22, 12-10).
Perhaps the most difficult weekend of the season comes April 21-22 when WLC plays a pair of doubleheaders against the top two teams in the NAC from a season ago. The Warriors travel to River Forest Ill. April 21 for games against last year's NAC regular season champion, Concordia Chicago (35-10, 20-2). The following day, WLC welcomes defending NAC Tournament champion Aurora (30-14, 18-4) to Neumann Family Field for a doubleheader with the Spartans. Both the Cougars and Spartans are receiving votes in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Preseason Top 25 poll.
The final non-conference doubleheader of the season comes April 24 as WLC hosts Cardinal Stritch (16-29). The following weekend, the Warriors again play four games by first making the trip to Rockford (17-20, 12-10) April 28. The next day, Wisconsin Lutheran plays its final home games of the 2012 season against Benedictine (24-18, 13-9). The regular season concludes with a road doubleheader at Maranatha (2-25, 0-22) May 5.
The 2012 NAC Tournament is set for May 11-13 at a location yet to be determined. The winner of the six-team, double-elimination conference tournament becomes the league's automatic qualifier to the 2012 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship Tournament.