Saint Michael's competed in the NE-10 in baseball for nine seasons from 1990-98 before becoming an independent program. A primary reason for the College's decision to become an independent for baseball beginning in 1999 was significant concern about missed class time, an area addressed in the NE-10's proposed baseball schedule for 2012. With these changes to the scheduling model in place, the conference will be able to provide a better balance between competitive opportunities and academic pursuits.
"This is a huge day for the Saint Michael's baseball program" said head coach Paul Morgan, who enters his third season at the helm of the program in 2011. "Moving back into the Northeast-10 Conference will allow us the opportunity to compete annually against some of the best NCAA Division II teams in the Northeast, and play in some of the best baseball facilities in the country. Saint Michael's baseball has such a loyal group of alumni who have supported this program, and they will be thrilled to hear this news."
"The revised NE-10 scheduling parameters for baseball announced today clearly address the issue of missed class time and make-up games," said Saint Michael's Director of Athletics Geri Knortz. "With this concern sufficiently addressed, Saint Michael's is pleased to be able to compete against our traditional conference opponents, while upholding the academic responsibilities of our student-athletes."
Under the proposed schedule, each team will play 29 conference games, using the same divisional model currently employed for men's and women's basketball. Each team will play a three-game series against their seven divisional opponents, and will play a doubleheader against four of its non-divisional opponents. Saint Michael's seven proposed divisional opponents are: Bentley University, Franklin Pierce University, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Merrimack College, Saint Anselm College, Southern New Hampshire University, and Stonehill College.
Another tenet to the NE-10 baseball schedule released today is that teams will only have to play on six mid-week dates the entire season. Only three of those six dates will be on the road, and those games will be single contests (not doubleheaders) against two of the closest institutions within one's division.
Today's NE-10 baseball schedule announcement also includes the addition of Le Moyne College beginning in 2012. In July, Le Moyne announced its intention to reclassify its baseball program from NCAA Division I to Division II, and will compete as a Division I independent in 2011 before joining Saint Michael's in the NE-10 the following season. As a result, the NE-10 will become the largest NCAA Division II baseball-playing conference in the country in 2012 with 16 teams.
In its 12 years as an independent, the Saint Michael's baseball program has produced the five winningest seasons in program history, including a program-record 17 victories in 1999, and recorded the 500th win in program history in 2004. The program also has played against several of the schools in the NE-10 during its time as an independent, and in the last four seasons, has defeated NE-10 institutions such as Merrimack, Southern New Hampshire, Stonehill, and the College of Saint Rose.
The Saint Michael's baseball program is the College's oldest intercollegiate varsity sports program, beginning in 1905. The 2012 season will mark the Purple Knights' 99th season of varsity baseball, and 23rd since the program was reinstated in 1990 following an eight-year hiatus.
With the move back into the NE-10 for baseball, 18 of Saint Michael's 21 intercollegiate varsity sports programs now compete in the conference, the biggest NCAA Division II league in the country (the NE-10 does not sponsor men's and women's skiing and women's ice hockey, the three Saint Michael's sports not affiliated with the conference).
-PURPLEKNIGHTS-
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