The UNF baseball team will not be overlooked this year at the 2009 Kennel Club Classic Feb. 27-March 1. UNF will welcome some of the best competition in the nation, including the No. 2 ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes that will be tough to beat, head Coach Dusty Rhodes said.

WHAT

The Kennel Club Classic, hosted by UNF, will welcome teams including Connecticut State and George Mason University, along with Ohio State University. There will be live stats of each UNF game.

“We’ve done this a lot of years, but it’s going to be different this year, especially after making the transition to Division I,” Rhodes said.

UNF baseball also hopes to continue this tradition in the future, each year gaining more and more fans in attendance.

“We want to play the best teams so that our players will know how to handle the pressure,” Rhodes said in a press release. “They’re getting more confident in what they’re doing against the bigger teams.”

WHEN

Feb. 27- March 1

WHERE

UNF’s Harmon Stadium,
Jacksonville, Fla.

LOOKING BACK

UNF has gone head to head with several different teams in each classic. In 2005 UNF faced off against Florida State University and Brown University.  Another one of these teams is Ohio State; whose coach has developed a strong relationship with UNF.

THIS SEASON

The Ospreys started their 2009 season splitting four games at the Bank First Baseball challenge in Starkville, Miss. Feb. 20 to finish with a 2-2 record.

During the tournament, UNF had no problem bringing in runs against Northern Illinois, as they won 9-3 and 6-3.

Compiled by Heather Furey.