Privateers to start 2018 with the MLB Andre Dawson Classic

UNO will play host to University of Illinois-Chicago, Alabama State and Southern

NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans begins the 2018 baseball season with the Andre Dawson Classic February 16-18. The team will take on the University of Illinois-Chicago on Friday at Maestri Field at 6:30 p.m., Alabama State University on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Wesley Barrow Stadium and Southern University Sunday at 3 p.m. at Maestri Field.

Live stats and video streams will be available on unoprivateers.com/watch for the Friday and Sunday games. Links will be posted on the baseball schedule page. Saturday’s UNO game against Alabama State will be televised on MLB Network.

CAN THEY STAY PERFECT?
This year will be the fourth time the Privateers will participate in the Andre Dawson Classic, formally the MLB Urban Youth Invitational. The team is currently undefeated in the tourney with a 9-0 record. In year No. 1 (2015), New Orleans defeated Alcorn State 5-0, Southern 4-1 and Grambling State 12-4. The following year, the Blue and Silver upended Alcorn State 12-3, Grambling 11-8 and Louisiana Tech 9-6. Last season, UNO repeated with a 5-0 victory over Southern, 8-5 versus Illinois-Chicago and 14-0 against Prairie View A&M.

ABOUT ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
The Flames are coming of an excellent 2017 season in which they finished 39-17 and 22-8 in the Horizon. The conference mark was good enough to win the regular season and Horizon tournament, earning the automatic berth. UNO has won the two matchups versus UIC.

ABOUT ALABAMA STATE
The Hornets went 31-25 overall last season and 18-6 in SWAC play. Alabama State advanced to the conference tournament championship game but fell to Texas Southern.

ABOUT SOUTHERN
The Jaguars went 17-27 overall. The Privateers will visit Southern later in the season.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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