University of Minnesota Duluth baseball will begin an eight-day, 13-game spring break itinerary that includes contests to be played out in the Florida cities of Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Port Charlotte, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday (March 11) set for 4 p.m. against former Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference rival Southwest Minnesota State University.

THE COMPLETE GENE CUSIC CLASSIC SCHEDULE:

March 11 -- Southwest Minnesota St. [2] (Fort Myers, Fla.) 4 p.m.

March 12 -- New Jersey Inst. [2] (Cape Coral, Fla.) 12 p.m.

March 13 -- New Jersey Inst. [2] (Port Charlotte, Fla.) 2 p.m.

March 14 -- East Stroudsburg [2] (Ft. Myers, Fla.) 9 a.m.

March 15 -- Day off

March 16 -- Mt. Vernon [2] (Ft. Myers, Fla.) 4 p.m.

March 17 -- Lock Haven [2] (Ft. Myers, Fla.) 4 p.m.

March 18 -- Missouri St. Louis [1] (Ft. Myers, Fla.) 9 a.m.

Key: [1] = Single nine-inning game, [2] = Seven-inning doubleheader

THE MATCH-UPS

• UMD holds a slim 46-45 all-time record with SMSU, is 1-0 against New Jersey Institute of Technology and Mt. Vernon Nazarene (OH.), and carries a 1-1 mark when facing East Stroudsburg. The Bulldogs have never clashed on the diamond with Lock Haven or Missouri St. Louis.

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

• Losers of their first four games, the Bulldogs travel to the southeast looking to turn things around. UMD went 5-6 during their trip to the Sunshine State last season, which included a 8-6 win over Mt. Vernon on March 22.

Last weekend, UMD fell to Fort Hayes State University (March 5) and Central Missouri State University (March 3) at the CMSU Challenge, held at Crane Stadium-Topkins Field in Warrensburg, Mo. The contest with Winona State that was scheduled for March 4 was cancelled due to rain showers.

THE COACH

• After spending the the past six years working dilligently in an assistant coaching role at the UMD, Bob Rients was elevated to the position of head coach on August 4, 2005.

Rients (pronounced “rents”) becomes just the third head coach the Bulldogs have employed in the baseball program’s storied 34-year history. He succeeded Scott Hanna, who stepped down this past May following a 27-season head coaching run. Rients takes over a squad that has strung together four straight winning seasons, including an NCAA II Tournament berth in 2003.

2005 IN REVIEW

• UMD put the wraps on a streaky 2005 season after falling to Minnesota State University, Mankato 7-2, eliminating them from the North Central Conference Tournament on May 14. The Bulldogs compiled a 27-24 overall record and 11-12 conference mark in their inaugural season as an NCC affiliate. UMD started the season 11-18 overall before hitting its stride in late April, winning 16-of-22 to close out the year.

A NEW KING HAS BEEN CROWNED

• Last Friday (March 3) against Central Missouri St., senior outfielder Greg Aker surpassed former Bulldog Brett Spaeth (1999-2002, 178 career hits) as the new UMD hit king. Aker pounded out four hits last weekend and now has compiled 182 as a Bulldog. The Superior, Wis., native is currently batting .389 and leads the team in RBIs with five.

TRYING TO SNAP OUT OF IT

• The Bulldogs haven't started off going 0-4 since opening the 2001 season at 0-7. The team finished that year with a 9-11 overall record (1-2 NSIC). Southwest Minnesota State has endured similar struggles in 2006. The Mustangs (0-6) will be searching for their first win of the season as well on Saturday when they face UMD.

JOHNSON AND JOHNSON

• Alex Johnson and Luke Johnson are currently among the clubhouse leaders in batting average, holding down a .444 and .400 average at the dish, respectively.

Alex Johnson (.667 slugging pct.) has racked up eight hits during his 18 plate appearances and Luke Johnson (.538 on-base pct.) has converted 4-of-10 tries at the plate for a hit.

STRIKE THREE, YOU'RE OUT

• UMD pitcher Scott Christenson has picked up right where he left off in 2005 on the mound. The Stillwater, Minn., native has made two apperances, tying John Leitch for the top spot in put-outs with five. Christenson led the Bulldogs in strikeouts last season with 32 in 23.1 innings of work.

GETTING THE FIRST ONE

• Bob Rients became the third head baseball coach in school history and will be searching for his first win at the Gene Cusic Classic. Scott Hanna won his debut as head man in 1979 with a 6-4 win over Wesleyan College. It took first-ever Bulldog baseball coach Al Holland three tries before he earned his first win in 1972, defeating Dominican College 4-2.

A FAMILIAR GROUP

• The UMD roster is one of the most experienced in the NCC, made up of 15 senior classmen and four juniors.