CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - With the basketball conference schedule in full swing and the other winter sports preparing for championship play, spring sports are making their preparations for their respective seasons. UMBC, University at Albany and Stony Brook University have high hopes for their men's lacrosse seasons, ranking 14^th, 20^th and 28^th, respectively, in the Inside Lacrosse 2010 NCAA Division I Preview, while in women's lacrosse, Boston University, which finished 11^th last season, will be looking for similar success this season. Binghamton University and Boston U. will try to defend league titles in baseball and softball, respectively, when those sports begin competition next month. Composite and team-by-team schedules for the four team spring sports are now available at AmericaEast.com.

Men's lacrosse games begin on Saturday, February 20 with four teams in action against teams ranked in the preseason preview, including defending America East champion the Retrievers, who will take on No. 29 Delaware. While UMBC will travel to No. 5 Johns Hopkins and No. 7 Princeton, the Retrievers will also play host to top lacrosse programs, No. 4 North Carolina and No. 8 Maryland this season. The Great Danes will begin their competitive season schedule the following Saturday, February 27 when they visit No. 17 Denver. Albany's schedule also boasts defending national champion and top-ranked Syracuse and No. 5 John's Hopkins. The Seawolves, who begin their season on February 20 against No. 34 Siena, will travel the following weekend to No. 2 Virginia. Conference play will start on Wednesday, March 31 when Hartford hosts Albany at 3:30 p.m. The championship semifinals will be held May 5 with the finals being played May 9.  Men's lacrosse schedule.

UMBC is the first women's lacrosse team in action, starting play on Saturday, February 6 at the University of Jacksonville in Florida. On Wednesday, February 24, three teams begin competition, including No. 20 University of New Hampshire, which plays Holy Cross in its first game under new Head Coach Michael Daly. The Wildcats will travel to No. 4 Maryland and host No. 17 Dartmouth. Defending America East champion Boston U., which begins play on the 24^th, boasts a schedule that includes No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 12 Vanderbilt and No. 17 Dartmouth. The Terriers will also see the return of former player Sarah Dalton when she returns as the assistant coach of William & Mary on March 7.  All America East schools are in action by Friday, February 26 when Binghamton hosts Louisville and Vermont travels to Penn State. Conference play will commence on Saturday, March 27 when the Bearcats host the Terriers at 12 p.m. and the Seawolves play the Retrievers. The America East championship semis will be on May 6 with the championship game on May 8.  Women's lacrosse schedule.

University of Maine kicks off the baseball season with a series in Texas against Lamar on Friday, February 19. The Black Bears, who beat No. 25 Ohio State last season, will also visit North Carolina, ranked fourth in the USA Today Poll on Feb. 26-28. On Saturday, February 27, the Bearcats, the America East defending champions, head to Virginia for their first game of the year against Longwood. Binghamton, which claimed its first-ever NCAA win last year when it knocked off George Mason in the first round, will travel to national defending champion LSU on Wednesday, March 31. All schools begin conference play on Saturday, April 10 under a new round robin division format. The top four teams will play in the America East championship May 26-28.  Baseball schedule.

The Black Bears are the first softball team in action when they travel to Utah for the Red Desert Classic Thursday, February 11-Saturday, February 13. Binghamton and Stony Brook begin a week later on Friday, February 19. The Bearcats, under new head coach Michelle Burrell, travel to Georgia while the Seawolves visit North Carolina with returning first-team all-conference pitcher Alyssa Struzenberg. The Terriers, the 2009 America East champions, also head to North Carolina for their first game of the season in the UNC Charlotte Green & White tournament on Friday, February 26. Boston U. won two NCAA games and became the third team in conference history to reach a Regional Finals last year. The Terriers hope for a repeat of last season, returning all conference pitcher Cassidi Hardy. Albany, which begins play in Florida against Stetson, returns Pitcher of the Year Leah McIntosh. Conference play begins on Saturday, March 27 with doubleheaders as Albany hosts Binghamton, Hartford plays Maine and Stony Brook travels to UMBC. The softball championship will be held May 13-15.   Softball schedule.