SAN FRANCISCO – USF head coach Nino Giarratano has announced the Dons’ 2016 baseball schedule, which features four matchups with 2015 NCAA regional participants. Altogether, the Dons’ challenging schedule will help complement the opening of the new Benedetti Diamond, which is expected to be ready for USF’s home opener on Feb. 23.
“I think the 2016 schedule is a great challenge for us,” commented Giarratano, who is entering his 18th season at USF. “With so many teams on our schedule that have made NCAA regionals over the past two years, we’re really trying to put together an especially strong schedule. Opening up at UC Santa Barbara, who hosted a regional last year, will be a great test for us early. We’re looking forward to going up to Oregon State, who has won multiple national championships recently, and we know we’re going to get tested there as well. Overall, this will hopefully set us up to do well in our conference. We’ve got our eyes on a bid in the WCC tournament, and hopefully a chance to either earn the automatic bid or an at-large bid in a regional, and I think this schedule helps us get there.”
USF will face 2015 regional participants in UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 19-21), Oregon State (Mar. 11-13), Cal (Mar. 29 and Apr. 26) and Pepperdine (Apr. 1-3), in addition to Cal Poly (Mar. 4-6), Sacramento State (Mar. 22) and Stanford (May 3), who each played in regionals in 2014.
The Dons will open the season on the road Feb. 19-21 with a three-game set at UC Santa Barbara, who earned a No. 16 final ranking in Baseball America’s College Top 25 last season.
USF will enjoy the new Benedetti Diamond for the first time when they host Utah Valley for the home opener on Feb. 23 in a two-game midweek series, which will be followed by the Dons’ first weekend home series against Hawai’i Feb. 26-28.
WCC action will begin on Mar. 18-20 with a three-game home set against Santa Clara. Other notable dates on the WCC schedule include a road trip to defending WCC champion-Pepperdine Apr. 1-3, and a series across the bay at Saint Mary’s Apr. 29-May 1.
The WCC slate will wrap up at home against BYU May 12-14, but the Dons will close out their regular season with a three-game nonconference series at Fresno State May 19-21.
The WCC Championships are slated for May 26-28 at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton, Calif.
Altogether, the Dons will split their schedule equally between 28 home dates and 28 games on the road.
USF finished the 2015 season with a record of 23-31 overall and 15-12 in WCC play, but missed out on competing for the WCC Championships. The Dons are looking for their first return to an NCAA regional since 2012.
The new Benedetti Diamond is currently under construction, with the first phase scheduled for completion around the end of December. Phase one will include the entire playing surface, new field turf installation on the entire field, dugouts, and part of the spectating and press box areas behind home plate and along the foul lines.
2016 University of San Francisco Schedule
