MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Highlighted by 28 games at FedExPark, head coach Daron Schoenrock released the 2015 University of Memphis baseball schedule on Wednesday.
The Tigers open the season on February 13 at Oral Roberts, the first time the UofM opens on the road since 2007. Memphis gets an early road test as their first six scheduled games are away from FedExPark.
“Obviously, when you formulate a schedule you are doing it two years in advance and aren’t real sure of the makeup of the roster,” Schoenrock said. “We are purposely going on the road early this year because we thought we might have a veteran experience on the pitching staff, which will we have. We will lean on those guys this season to get us through the early road test.”
Memphis will open the 28-game slate at FedExPark on February 24 against Mississippi Valley State. The Tigers are scheduled for five games at minor league ballparks beginning with a matchup against Middle Tennessee at the Ballpark at Jackson on March 11. Arkansas returns to the schedule with a home-and-home series on March 24 and March 25 with games played at Dickey Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Ark., and AutoZone Park in Memphis, respectively. Ole Miss (March 31) and Mississippi State (April 7) also visit AutoZone Park for midweek contests.
“We have our typical tough regional opponents with Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee and we add in the Arkansas series this year to create more midweek challenges,” Schoenrock added. “If we are able to formulate a five or six man bullpen, we will have the opportunity to be the same kind of pitching staff every day. This schedule is designed to get us ready for a very good American Athletic Conference season. The challenges early will benefit us.”
The 2015 season marks the third-straight in which the Tigers play a team that advanced to the College World Series in the previous season. In each of the previous two seasons, Memphis earned a victory over that team. Last season, Memphis played at Mississippi State after the Bulldogs advanced to the 2013 College World Series. In 2013, Memphis defeated Kent State which appeared in the 2012 College World Series.
“I think our guys are at the point where we approach every game the same way,” Schoenrock said. “We want to win every game and winning is what we breed into these guys on a daily basis. We realize when we do beat those teams, how close we are. For us, it’s just a matter of taking care of the little things as we go. If we take care of those over the course of the season, we will be in a good position. The level of play and talent level here is capable of making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament and its just a matter of if we can avoid injuries and will the schedule play into our favor.”
In all, Memphis plays eight games against teams that advanced to the 2014 NCAA Tournament and a total of 28 games against squads that compiled 30-plus win seasons.
2015 Memphis Baseball Schedule (PDF)
