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NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers baseball team released its 2014 schedule on Tuesday, highlighted by the home opener against LSU at the newly renovated Maestri Field at Privateer Park.
The LSU Tigers are one of five teams on the Privateers' slate who made it to the NCAA tournament in 2013. In addition, New Orleans gets the services of legendary coach,
Ron Maestri who returns to the program he guided to a 518-247-1 record in 14 seasons from 1972-85. That tenure included seven appearances in the NCAA Division I tournament, back-to-back Sun Belt championships, and a berth in the 1984 College World Series.
The Privateers start their season on February 14th in Baton Rouge, but will not travel out of Louisiana for their first 13 games. Nine of those contests will be at Maestri Field. New Orleans' first out-of-state road trip will be March 7th for a three-game set at Troy.
In the home opener, New Orleans will celebrate the 30-year anniversary of their 1984 College World Series squad as part of Alumni Weekend festivities. "Obviously, once we get into that new stadium on opening day with all our '84 team and our '74 team coming back with a lot of alumni, it's going to be a great feeling. Paul (Mainieri) was gracious enough to play us. I'm thrilled and can't wait for February 15th."
There are 29 home games on the 2014 schedule. The first home series for the Privateers will be against South Alabama, who were one of four teams from the Sun Belt to make the NCAA Regionals. South Alabama is coming off a 43-win season a year ago.
"It's a very ambitious schedule," said Maestri. "We start out with arguably one of the best teams in the country year in and year out. We're also in a league with Central Arkansas and Sam Houston. All those colleges were in the NCAA's last year. It's going to be challenging, but we're looking forward to it."
For Maestri and his bunch, they will face their first full season of competition as a member of the Southland Conference. The Privateers will open their conference slate at home against Sam Houston State on March 14th. The Bearkats won the regular season conference title last year and made the tournament as an at-large team.
"UNO has played Lamar, Nicholls, Southeastern. Those have always been very good baseball schools in my previous life. Their facilities are improved now and it's a great league. It gives you something to shoot at, and that's exciting," said Maestri on playing in the Southland.
Local competition dots the schedule as well with two games against Tulane. One of those contests will be played at Maestri Field. The Privateers also face in-state foes, Southern, Louisiana-Lafayette, and Loyola. The season will close at home with a conference series starting on May 15th against Central Arkansas. The Bears won the post-season Southland tournament as a No. 7-seed last year.
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