The UConn Huskies men’s basketball schedule for the 2009-10 season was finally released on Thursday and the schedule features twenty home games. They will nine games at Gampel Pavilion on campus (including an exhibition) and eleven games (including an exhibition) at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

The Huskies will participate in the NIT Season Tip-off and will host one of the sub-regionals at Gampel Pavilion. They will also participate in the Big East/SEC Invitational where they will take on the John Calipari-led Kentucky Wildcats.

The big non-conference home matchup will be when the Texas Longhorns come to Gampel Pavilion on January 23, 2010. The Huskies will head to Michigan in a key non-conference matchup on January 17, 2010.

The schedule also features fourteen nationally televised games as of right now. Twelve of those will be on either ESPN or ESPN2 while two of the games will be on CBS.

2009-10 UConn Men’s Basketball Schedule

Unfortunately I just don’t have time this morning to go over last night’s game. I overslept and I need to be somewhere at 11 a.m. this morning. Instead of blowing this post off, I wanted to be able to at least give ya’ll the opportunity to check out what the Boston area papers said about last night’s game.

My sincere apologies.

For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal websites.

And if you want to check out the enemy papers, head over to the Baltimore Sun and Annapolis Capital websites.

UConn Football links

Chat with Chip Thursday [Chip Malafronte – New Haven Register]

UConn Football Chat Week 2: Here Come The Tar Heels [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

When Will We See Robbie Frey In The Backfield? [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Is BCS Or New Years Day Bowl Bid Key To Sellouts? [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Witten, Huskies must raise game against Heels [Big East Blog – ESPN.com]

What to watch in the Big East, Week 2 [Big East Blog – ESPN.com]

In yesterday’s JI [John Silver – Journal Inquirer]

Update: Lutrus to play Saturday [TheUConnBlog.com]

UConn Needs Big Effort From Defensive Line [Hartford Courant]

Huskies turn to TB tandem [AP via The Hour]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

A reader wants to know about Alysa Auriemma [John Altavilla – Hartford Courant]

questions, and answers, and more questions. [Alysa Auriemma]

Courant Sports Editor Jeff Otterbein On Alysa Auriemma [Hartford Courant]

UConn women’s notebook: Auriemma’s daughter to cover team [Connecticut Post]

UConn coach’s daughter hired to cover his team [AP via Norwich Bulletin]

Huskies to face the best of the rest [New Haven Register]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Pick-Up Lines [David Borges – New Haven Register]

No Grand Illlusion for Sticks [David Borges – New Haven Register]

ESPN Announces Men’s College Basketball Big Monday BIG EAST Schedule for 2009-10 Season [BigEast.org]

UConn’s Robinson ready to put in work [New Haven Register]

Other UConn related links

Men’s Soccer: No. 18 Huskies Head to Dartmouth for a Two-Game Weekend Tournament [UConnHuskies.com]

The last time Victor Martinez pinch-hit for Terry Francona and the Boston Red Sox, he got the job done. On Wednesday night, he had another opportunity to deliver and make Francona look good.

VMart’s 3-run double in the 7th inning gave the Red Sox the lead and the combo of Billy Wagner, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon closed the door on a 7-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles in front of 37,712 at Fenway Park.

Matt Albers started the 7th and gave up a single to Kevin Youkilis. Mark Hendrickson came in and struck out David Ortiz. Dave Trembley went to his bullpen again and called on Danys Baez. Jason Bay singled and Baez walked Mike Lowell to load up the bases.

Francona brought in Brian Anderson to pinch-run for Lowell and also had VMart pinch-hit for George Kottaras. Baez then left a pitch out for VMart that he drove to deep center to clear the bases and give the Red Sox a 7-4 lead.

The Orioles would add a run in the 9th off of Papelbon but he worked out of it by getting Ty Wigginton to pop out.

Since it seems like the New York Yankees will never lose again, the Red Sox remain nine games behind them with 23 games to go. The Texas Rangers also won on Wednesday night and remain two games behind the Red Sox. The Mariners are nine games behind the Red Sox for the wild card pending the outcome of their game with the Angels.

Paul Byrd was much better in this start than his previous one. He left with a 3-2 lead after five innings of work. He allowed the two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out one.

Manny Delcarmen allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and walk with a strikeout. Ramon Ramirez gave up a hit and struck out two in 2/3 of an inning. Wagner picked up his first win in a Red Sox uniform striking out two in an inning. Bard gave up a hit while striking out two in 2/3 of an inning. Papelbon allowed the run on two hits to pick up his 35th save.

Jason Berken started for the Orioles and fared slightly better than in his previous two starts. He allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and four walks while striking out three in 5 1/3 innings.

Six O’s relievers combined to allow three runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Jason Bay had a three hit night with two RBIs while Kevin Youkilis had two hits. Jason Varitek, mired in a slump for the last month or so, had two hits and an RBI. David Ortiz also chipped in with two hits while Lowell added a hit and a stolen base.

The Red Sox are off on Thursday and return to action on Friday night to host the Rays in a three-game set. Jon Lester will be on the bump for the Red Sox and be opposed by James Shields.

The UConn Huskies women’s basketball schedule was finally released on Wednesday and it features nineteen home games for the Huskies. They will play eleven games, including an exhibition game, on campus at Gampel Pavilion and ten games at the XL Center (including an exhibition game) in Hartford, CT.

The non-conference part of the home schedule is highlighted by home games with the Stanford Cardinal (XL Center) and the North Carolina Tar Heels (Gampel). The Huskies will also host Richmond, Hofstra and Clemson in the WBCA Classic at Gampel from November 27-29, 2009.

The non-conference portion of the road schedule includes a matchup with Texas in San Antonio, as well as trips to Florida State, Duke and Oklahoma.

Fourteen of UConn’s opponents played in last year’s NCAA Women’s Tournament that was won by the undefeated Huskies.

2009-10 UConn Huskies women’s basketball schedule

After hitting six home runs last night, the Boston Red Sox look for a repeat performance tonight at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles.

The game tonight will start at 7:10 PM EDT and will be televised in the Red Sox television market on NESN. If you live in the Orioles television market, you can catch the game on MASN. And if the television isn’t your cup of tea, you can catch the game on one of the many affiliates of the Red Sox Radio Network.

After a brilliant first start, Paul Byrd got rocked in his second start. He hopes to turn it around against the Orioles. In those two starts, he is 1-1 with a 7.56 ERA. He’s made seven career starts against the O’s and is 2-4 with a 4.30 ERA.

Jason Berken will toe the rubber tonight for Dave Trembley and the Orioles. In 19 starts this season, he is 4-11 with a 6.07 ERA. His two career appearances against the Red Sox have come this season. In those two starts, he is 0-2 with a 14.21 ERA (6.1 IP, 10 ER).

Byrd looks to bounce back against O’s [RedSox.com]

Wakefield to get a cortisone shot tomorrow [Extra Bases]

Another cortisone shot set for Wakefield [Projo Sox Blog]

Byrd needs to perform well against Orioles [Batter-up with Bruno]

And here is how the hitters have fared against tonight’s starting pitchers: