GRAND FORKS, N.D. ? University of North Dakota baseball coach Timm Pint announced today that the Sioux are scheduled to open the 2008 season on Feb. 22 at Emporia State as part of UND's 48-game game regular season schedule.
 
The UND baseball team will begin play as an NCAA Division I school in 2009, and the Sioux will get a sampling of Division I competition in 2008 when UND travels to Brookings, S.D., for an April 1 contest against former North Central Conference rival South Dakota State.

"I'm excited to begin this season," Pint said. "We have an experienced group of returning players that will help lead the young guys coming into our program as we compete for the NCC crown this year and then make the move to Division I."

After playing four games at Emporia State on the season's opening weekend, UND will travel to Fort Myers, Fla., for nine games at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Baseball Classic from March 1-8. This will be the 15th year in a row that the Sioux will play in Fort Myers, Fla., over spring break.
 
The Fighting Sioux will play a four-game series at Upper Iowa from March 23-25 before opening the home season with a pair of non-conference doubleheader against Minnesota-Crookston on March 29-30. Those games are among 18 home games UND will play in 2008.
 
The NCC tournament will be held from May 10-13 in Omaha, Neb., with the NCAA regional tournaments and Division II World Series scheduled for the next two weekends.
 
The schedule is subject to change.

2008 Fighting Sioux Baseball Schedule

Date               Opponent                                          Time
Feb. 22           at Emporia State (D-II) (1-9 inn.)        3 p.m.
Feb. 23           at Emporia State (D-II)                       12/2 p.m.
Feb. 24           at Emporia State (D-II) (1-9 inn.)        11 a.m.
March 1-8       at Gene Cusic Collegiate Baseball Classic Fort Myers, Fla. (9 games)
March 23        at Upper Iowa (D-II) (1-9 inn.)           1 p.m.
March 24        at Upper Iowa (D-II)                          1/3 p.m.
March 25        at Upper Iowa (D-II) (1-9 inn.)           1 p.m.
March 29       Minnesota-Crookston                      TBA
March 30       Minnesota-Crookston                      TBA
April 1             at South  Dakota St. (D-I) (1-9 inn.)   1:30 p.m.
April 5             at Nebraska-Omaha* (D-II)               1/3 p.m.
April 6             at Nebraska-Omaha* (D-II)               12/2 p.m.
April 8             Valley City State (NAIA)                2/4 p.m.
April 12           at Minnesota State* (D-II)                  1/3 p.m.
April 13           at Minnesota State* (D-II)                  1/3 p.m.
April 18           at Minnesota Duluth* (D-II)                1/3 p.m.
April 20          Minnesota Duluth* (D-II)                1/3 p.m.
April 22           at Bemidji State (D-II)                         2/4 p.m.
April 26          Augustana* (D-II)                             2/4 p.m.
April 27          Augustana* (D-II)                             12/2 p.m.
April 29          Bemidji State (D-II)                           2/4 p.m.
May 2             St. Cloud State* (D-II)                      1/3 p.m.
May 3             St. Cloud State* (D-II)                      12/2 p.m.
May 10-13       at NCC Tournament (Omaha, Neb.)
May 17-20       NCAA Central Regional
May 24-28       NCAA Division II World Series (Montgomery, Ala.)

All times Central time
Schedule & times subject to change
All games doubleheaders unless otherwise noted
Home games in bold
All home games at Kraft Field
*  North Central Conference games