Sept. 9, 2009

Charlotte, N.C. - The Charlotte 49ers baseball squad began fall practice Wednesday at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium to prepare for the 2010 season. Charlotte returns 22 players from last year's 33-22 team and adds a large crop of new players to fall practice.

The Niners will take Thursday off from the field to take part in the 8th Annual 9/11 Memorial Blood Drive in Hayward Memorial Practice Gym in the Miltimore-Wallis Academic and Athletic Training Center. The drive, executed by the American Red Cross, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Niners will return to the practice field for the weekend and will continue practicing on campus until the end of the month, when they will move to nearby North Mecklenburg High School on September 29 until October 7 as Tom and Lib Phillips Field is reseeded.

Pro Day is scheduled for Friday, September 18 on campus. All practices are open to the public. Nationally, Charlotte is one of only 20 programs to finish in the Top 75 for winning percentage in the nation in each of the last four years.

The Niners have now won 30 or more games in five straight seasons and 20 or more home games in four straight years, both program records.

Charlotte is the only team out of the Atlantic 10 to have winning percentages of better than 70 percent overall and in league play. Since joining the league in 2006, the Niners are 160-68 (.702) overall, with a 76-32 (.704) league record.

The 49ers begin the 2010 season with a home-and-home series against High Point on February 19 on the road and February 20 at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium in Charlotte. The Niners are scheduled to play 23 of their first 27 contests at home in 2010.