Seattle University head baseball coach Donny Harrel has put together a tough 2012 slate of games for the Redhawks to work through, including a home game against UConn, who made the NCAA Super Regionals, and a cross-country trip for two games at Central Michigan and three at Ohio State.
In all, the Redhawks will play teams from the Pac-12, Big 10, Big East, WAC, WCC, and MAC, among others, in their final year of independence before joining the Western Athletic Conference in the 2013 season.
The Redhawks kick off the 2012 campaign with three home games against Great West Conference champion Utah Valley Feb. 17-19. After a day of rest, they head over to Montlake for one game against Washington, and then continue their first road trip of the season at Sacramento State Feb. 24-26, a future conference foe. SU closes out the month with a three-game series with fellow independent Nebraska Omaha Feb. 28-March 1. Two days later, the team plays host to St. Martin's for a game, then to St. Joseph's for two games March 6-7.
The Redhawks hit the road again for three games against Big West foe UC Davis March 9-11, then host UConn for one game March 12 at Bannerwood Park. UConn won the Big East regular season title and advanced to the Super Regional of the NCAA Division I Championship in 2011.
After a five-day break for finals, SU heads south to Provo, Utah, and takes on BYU for three games, including its first doubleheader of the year March 17. The Redhawks conclude the road trip March 23-25 with a four-game series against San Jose State, another future conference mate in the WAC. On March 30-April 1, SU hosts Northern Colorado for three games at Bannerwood Park, and then leaves for a short jaunt eastward as they play three games at Washington State April 5-7.
After the Washington State series, Seattle U doesn't leave the Seattle metropolitan area for the next thirteen games. The Redhawks host BYU for three games April 12-14, then play their second game at crosstown rival Washington April 17. After the contest against the Huskies, SU begins a nine-game homestand, hosting British Columbia on April 18, then Concordia for two games April 20-21.
Washington State comes to town for one game, a SU home game played at Everett Memorial Stadium in Everett, Wash., on April 23. After a week off, Seattle U hosts Santa Clara for two games May 1-2, and then concludes the long stretch of games in western Washington with three games against Nevada May 4-6.
After the Nevada series wraps up, the Redhawks leave on their longest road trip of the year: an eight-game swing that covers three states and 5,278 miles roundtrip. The swing starts in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., where the Redhawks play a double-header at Central Michigan on May 9. Two days later, they begin a three-game series at Ohio State, lasting May 11-13. The trip concludes in Eugene, Ore., where SU takes on Oregon May 18-20.
Just two days later, the baseball team begins its final homestand of 2012, hosting Washington for one game May 22, and then finishing up the season with WCC rival Portland May 25-27.
Seattle University returns 22 players from last year's team that won 21 games last year, including home wins over Notre Dame, San Jose State, and Portland, and road wins at Washington, Oregon State, Nevada, and Dallas Baptist.