TUCSON, Ariz.— The University of Arizona baseball program has announced its 2016 baseball schedule with a slate of 31 games to played at Hi Corbett Field along with 27 regular season contests away from home. All opponents are confirmed, but exact dates and times are subject to change pending the Pac-12 Conference and its television partners selecting broadcasts this December.
The 2015 slate begins with a school-record eight straight games away from home to start the year, while it will be first time UA has opened a season on the road since 2008. The Cats will open the season with a three-game series at Rice (Feb. 19-21), in what will be a rematch of a thrilling series from a year ago, that featured an extra inning affair and a walk-off steal of home.
The Wildcats will then visit Lamar (Feb. 22) before heading to San Diego, Calif. to compete in the Tony Gwynn Classic (Feb. 26-28), where Arizona will open up with Tulane, before either playing Nebraska, San Diego, San Diego State, Bryant, Kentucky, or UC Santa Barbara over the next two days.
UA will finally make its way back to the state of Arizona, where it will go up against the Arizona Diamondbacks in exhibition affair down in Scottsdale (March 1), before returning to Tucson to play its home opener vs. 2015 College World Series participant Cal State Fullerton on March 2.
The Fullerton contest marks the start of a season-high equaling eight-game homestand, where Arizona will then take on Northwestern State (twice), Cal State Bakersfield, and St. Mary’s in the Wildcat Classic (March 4-6), before concluding the stretch with a three-game set against Sacramento State (March 11-13) and a weekday meeting with New Mexico State (March 15).
Arizona will then open up Pac-12 play on the road for the first time since 2011, as the Wildcats will play at Washington (March 18-20), before returning to Hi Corbett Field for a six-game homestand with Utah Valley (March 22), UCLA (March 24-26), and UC Riverside (March 29-30).
The Wildcats will then take a mini tour of Utah, where UA will play three at Utah (April 1-3) and one at BYU (April 4) before returning home for the second eight-game homestand of the season with three vs. Washington State (April 8-10), one non-conference matchup vs. Arizona State (April 12), and three more against Stanford (April 15-17), before concluding with its second contest of the year against New Mexico State (April 20).
Arizona will then begin a rigorous stretch, where it’ll take on 13 conference straight opponents, starting with seven-game road trip consistent of three games at California (April 22-24), a none-league clash at Arizona State (April 26), and three at USC (April 29-May 1).
The Cats finish off conference play with three consecutive three-game series vs Oregon State (May 6-8), Arizona State (May 13-15), and at Oregon (May 20-22).
Arizona closes out the regular season with five contests against non-league opponents, with two vs. Abilene Christian (May 24-25) and three at Hawaii (May 27-29).
NCAA Regional action goes from June 3-6, while Super Regionals will go from June 10-13, and the College World Series will span from June 18-29.
The Wildcats begin official fall practice next Friday, Oct. 9.
