Cumberland baseball coach Woody Hunt released the 2012 schedule this week, which includes 23 home games and contests against 11 teams that reached the NAIA Championship Opening Round.

The Bulldogs begin the season February 3, the earliest opening day for CU since 2003, with a three-game series at Brewton-Parker.

The next week Cumberland will take on Belhaven University, LSU-Shreveport and Southern Poly in Jackson, Miss., and the squad opens the home slate against Milligan College on Feb. 15.

CU plays Lindsey Wilson and Point Park University before embarking on an  eight-game road swing that covers the first part of Spring Break.

The Bulldogs head to Tennessee Wesleyan on Feb. 29, the team that eliminated them from last year’s NAIA Championship Opening Round in Paducah, Ky., and begins TranSouth Conference play that weekend at Mid-Continent.

Cumberland then heads to Florida for four games, including three against Embry-Riddle.

The club returns home March 10 against Lyon College, starting a stretch of 11 home games in 14 contests that includes meetings against Missouri Baptist, Campbellsville University, Georgetown College, Bethel University and Tennessee Wesleyan.

The Bulldogs play home games against Lee University, Bryan College, Indiana-Southeast, Blue Mountain and Freed-Hardeman during the month of April.

The month also includes seven straight road outings before finishing the regular season with a series against FHU.

The TranSouth Championships are scheduled for April 30-May 3 at Union University’s Fesmire Field.

CU went 46-16 last season, losing in the finals of the NAIA Opening Round.

The complete 2012 schedule may be found at http://www.gocumberlandathletics.com/baseball/schedule/.