Big Ten-powerhouse Nebraska, Big 12 opponent Oklahoma and UC Santa Barbara of the Big West Conference highlight BYU’s 2015 baseball schedule before West Coast Conference action.
“I believe this is one of the best nonconference schedules BYU has ever played,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “We want to challenge ourselves early in preparation for a tough WCC league schedule. We will definitely come out in the first month of the season battle tested and well prepared for league play.”
In addition to the aforementioned teams, the Cougars open at home against the University of Hartford, have a three-game series with rival Utah, home-and-home dates with Utah Valley University and single games at San Diego State and Cal State Northridge in the nonconference schedule.
The Cougars, who finished 22-31 overall last season and 12-15 in the WCC, begin the season on Feb. 13 with a three-game series at UC Santa Barbara. For the second consecutive year, BYU plays another Big 12 foe when it returns to Peoria, Ariz., versus Nebraska in a three-game series, Feb. 19-21.
Nebraska, San Diego State and Pepperdine, who comes to Provo on March 12-14, are the teams on this year’s BYU schedule who played in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Next on the Cougar slate is a three-game series at Oklahoma, Feb. 26-28. Then BYU opens its home season with a first-ever meeting against Hartford, March 5-7.
For the third year the WCC Tournament will be played in Stockton, Calif., where the Cougars will also play a three-game series at the University of the Pacific.
