For some reason D1 Baseball released the schedule for a new tournament in 2021 that will be held at the new ballpark for the Texas Rangers that opens in 2020. It reads like a World Series lineup.....
Texas, MS State, Arkansas, TCU, TTU and Ole Miss.
I get the regional big boy play for the schools listed but I want to see USM start playing in some of these larger early season tournaments like in Houston and Frisco. Last season La Tech got to play in the Frisco classic against Texas AM, Cal and Baylor. This years Frisco field has MS St, Sam Houston, Nebraska and TTU. Last seasons Minute Maid Classic included Houston, Louisiana-Lafayette, Sam Houston State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State. Pensacola has been decent against some large school programs like Auburn, Michigan St and Ohio St in the past but we need to get us up against some traditional baseball powers. Should have inked something with Texas or UNC following the World Series, or even something with TCU or ECU.
We have earned national respect on a consistent basis and should be marketing our program to participate in one of these bigger tournaments. Add it to the to do list for the new AD. Need to keep baseball going in the right direction at all costs for the benefit of our brand.
New Rangers Ballpark
"There was a great deal of character on that field today. They are for real, no doubt about it. This was no fluke." - Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant