Several first-time matchups highlight the 2016 BYU baseball schedule as coach Mike Littlewood heads into his fourth season with the Cougars.
“As a staff we are committed to scheduling quality non-conference opponents who are consistently at the top of their own league,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “This 2016 non-conference schedule fits that mold and will prepare us for our tough West Coast Conference season.”
The Cougars open the season by hosting a four-game series in Las Vegas against Saint Louis University on Feb. 19. Those games will be at the AAA affiliate (New York Mets) Cashman Field where BYU played a four-game series against Oklahoma last season due to inclement weather.
Another first for BYU in 2016 is a four-game series at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama the second week of the season.
En route back from Alabama, the Cougars play a four-game series in their first appearance at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.
The home opener in Provo will be a four-game series on March 10 in a first-ever matchup with Niagara University from New York.
The first matchup of a three-game series is at Utah prior to BYU’s WCC opener in Provo on March 17 against Pacific.
“It will also be nice to play two of three games in Provo against in state rivals Utah Valley and Utah after playing two of three games at their place in 2015.”
For the first time since 1970, BYU hosts Arizona. Arizona last came to Provo for the Western Athletic Conference Playoffs. The single game on April 4 against Arizona will be the first regular season appearance for the Wildcats in Provo.
BYU’s only other non-conference games are a three-game series against Utah Valley University.
