2002 VANDERBILT BASEBALL SEASON TICKET PACKAGES AVAILABLE; HOME SLATE ONLY ONE PART OF DIFFICULT SCHEDULE 1/12/02

Another challenging baseball schedule awaits the 2002 Vanderbilt Commodores with contests against 12 teams that appeared in the 2001 NCAA Tournament and six squads ranked in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll.

The Vanderbilt ticket office is now selling season ticket packages for only $65. Vanderbilt faculty and staff can purchase season tickets for $33, while youth and senior citizen season ticket packages are available for $30. Individual Game prices are as follows (SEC games): $5/adult ticket $3/youth ticket (available throughout stadium),(Non-SEC games): $4/adult ticket $1/youth ticket (available throughout stadium). To purchase tickets, please call (615) 322-GOLD or go online at vucommodores.com.

Vanderbilt's home slate in the newly completed Hawkins Field features 29 dates, including the season opener Feb. 12 against Tennessee Tech. Other in-state schools to visit Vanderbilt include Tennessee Tech, Lipscomb, Memphis, Belmont, Middle Tennessee and Austin Peay. The Commodores also play host to the inaugural Music City Challenge, March 1-3, with games against Connecticut, Iowa and Saint Louis.

Five Southeastern Conference opponents come to Nashville for three-game weekend series, including Georgia, Arkansas, the eighth-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, No. 23 Mississippi State and Kentucky.

The Commodores face several tests on the road as well, opening their Southeastern Conference schedule at No. 5 LSU, March 15-17. Other key road trips in the league feature visits to No. 14 Ole Miss, April 5-7, No. 21 Florida, April 19-21, Auburn, May 3-5, and rival Tennessee to close the regular season, May 17-19.

2002 Vanderbilt Baseball Home Schedule Highlights
*Home slate features 29 dates; Visits from conference foes Georgia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi State and Kentucky; In-state matchups with Tennessee Tech, Lipscomb, Memphis, Belmont, Middle Tennessee and Austin Peay.

* The inaugural Music City Challenge at Hawkins Field, March 1-3, features Connecticut, Iowa and Saint Louis. Overall Schedule Highlights

* Thirty-one games against the 12 teams that appeared in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. (Temple, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, LSU, Central Florida, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee Tech, Middle Tennessee, Tennessee, Georgia, and Auburn.)

*Seventeen games against the six squads ranked in the 2002 Preseason Collegiate Baseball Poll. (No. 5 LSU, No. 8 South Carolina, No. 14 Ole Miss, No. 21 Florida, No. 23 Mississippi State and No. 40 Central Florida.)