Owl Teams Set For Spring Week Trips

'KEENE, N.H. 3/7/07 - Keene State College baseball coach Ken Howe doesn't need to look at a calendar to know that his team's spring week trip is getting close.  "The guys start bugging me," he said.  "They've been in the gym for the past five weeks and are chomping at the bit to get outside and on a field."

The Owls will get a chance to do just that on Thursday when they travel to Phoenix for the second straight year.  While the KSC baseball team heads west, Owl softball and men's lacrosse teams will travel to Florida.  The Keene State softball team makes its annual pilgrimage to Fort Myers and the KSC men's lacrosse team will practice and play one game in Orlando.

The Keene State baseball team, coming off a program best 31-14 season, will play a tough 12 game schedules that includes William Patterson, Johns Hopkins, and College of New Jersey.

Coach Howe says he still has a few question marks in his line-up.  "Some players are going to get some playing time out in Phoenix and we'll see how they react," he said.  "We want to start the season with a winning trip."

Leaving on Saturday and playing on Sunday, the KSC softball squad jumps right into action.  "We just have to step off the bus and go," said KSC Coach Charlie Beach.  "It's the toughest schedule we've faced in several years."

Pleased with the quality of players on his team, Beach anticipates some serious battles for spots in the line-up.  "Everyone can hit, throw, and catch," he said.  "Now we have to see who can do it under game pressure."

KSC finished with a 26-14 record last season earning an ECAC Tournament berth.

Practicing outside since Feb. 1, the KSC men's lacrosse team will welcome the warm Florida sunshine.  The defending ECAC champion Owls (13-3) look to make a serous run at the Little East Championship this spring.  "I'm very encouraged, "said KSC Coach Mark Theriault.  "We had two good scrimmages against Amherst and Middlebury and everyone is fired up for the season."

Ironically, the Owls will travel all the way down to Orlando to face a New England College team that is just 40 minutes away down Route 9.

"NCAA rules say we have to play a game on the trip," Theriault said.  "Some of the teams we usually face will not be down there until the following week, so we decided to play New England."