RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team has released its 2011 schedule, third-year head coach Jason Stein announced on Tuesday. The Colonels open the season in Malibu, Calif. with a series against Pepperdine, will host such non-conference foes as Penn State, Western Carolina and UNC Asheville and will travel to play at such power conference opponents as Kentucky and West Virginia.

“Our players have seen this tough schedule and are excited about the challenges it poses,” Stein said. “Hopefully it has motivated them throughout the offseason to improve on their weaknesses and their strengths.”

After hosting an early-season tournament at Turkey Hughes Field for many consecutive seasons, the Colonels will open on the road for the second straight year when they fly to Malibu, Calif. for a three-game series with Pepperdine from Feb. 18-20.

EKU’s home opener will come a week later when the Colonels host Big Ten opponent Penn State in a three game series from Feb. 26-27. The Nittany Lions are the second Big Ten team to visit Turkey Hughes Field in as many years as the Colonels split a two-game series with Purdue at home last season.

Following Penn State, EKU will play host to Western Carolina in a two-game set from March 1-2. The Colonels will be looking for redemption as EKU opened the 2010 season in Cullowhee and dropped two of three to the Catamounts in that series.

EKU then hits the road as the Colonels will compete in the Memphis Classic Tournament in Memphis, Tenn. from March 4-6 against the likes of Southern Illinois, Oral Roberts and host Memphis. Two days later, EKU will play a midweek game at Kentucky, where the Colonels lost a heart-breaking 9-8 decision to the Wildcats two seasons ago thanks to a walk-off home run in the ninth.

After hosting UNC Asheville in a three game series from March 11-13, the Colonels will spend most of their spring break travelling to Morgantown, W.Va. for a two-game set with West Virginia and Terre Haute, Ind. for a three-game set with Indiana State.

The Colonels will also host mid-week games against such non-conference stalwarts as Miami (Ohio) (March 22), Marshall (March 29), East Tennessee State (April 26-27) and in-state rival Western Kentucky (May 3).

“We look forward to such a daunting non-conference schedule to prepare us for the grind of OVC play,” Stein said.

EKU’s conference schedule begins on the weekend of March 26-27 when the Colonels travel to Charleston, Ill. to play Eastern Illinois. The Colonels will host conference weekends against Southeast Missouri (April 2-3), Morehead State (April 16-17), UT Martin (April 22-23) and Murray State (May 7-8). They will go on the road for the final conference weekend of the season (May 14-15) to face the defending OVC champion Jacksonville State.

The OVC Tournament will again be held at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn.

EKU finished the 2010 season with a record of 28-27 (12-12 OVC) and earned its first bid to the OVC Tournament since 2007. The Colonels return two OVC All-Freshman team members from last season (right-handed pitcher Anthony Bazzani and outfielder Austin Grisham) as well as second team All-OVC selection from 2009 (shortstop Richie Rodriguez).