The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network announced that it will more than double the number of Nationals and Orioles games shown in high-definition next season, and will launch a full-time HD channel.

MASN said its plan for 2009 will be to show at least one baseball game each night in HD, giving fans "as many as 200" HD baseball games during the season. A network spokesman said the schedule of HD games is still being crafted, but that the HD broadcasts will be split evenly between the Nationals and Orioles.

Meanwhile, all Ravens pre-season games will be in HD, along with select college basketball, college football and college lacrosse games. All ESPNews broadcasts will also be in HD.

One challenge now facing MASN will be working with its providers to carry the new HD channel, though the network said that it has agreements with Comcast, DirecTV, Cox, and RCN.

MASN first introduced HD games this year, and will have shown 40 Nationals and 40 Orioles games in HD by the end of the season. The increase of HD games for next year will put them generally on par with other more established regional sports networks that have moved more quickly to HD.

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