Photo by David Cohen, (BHEphotos/College Baseball Daily)
Los Angeles- USC baseball announces the team’s 2016 schedule, which boasts 26 out of 56 games against nine different teams that made the 2015 NCAA postseason. In addition to the perennially tough PAC-12 slate, this year’s schedule includes a three game series at 2015 World Series participant TCU, in addition to a series against ACC member Wake Forest and a visit from perennial powers Oklahoma and Mississippi State.
Under the leadership of fourth-year head coach Dan Hubbs, the Trojans kick things off at Deadeaux Field on Friday, Feb. 19, as they welcome North Dakota for a three-game series.
“I believe we have one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the country, with series against national powerhouse TCU, Wake Forest of the ACC and 2015 NCAA Regional participant UC Santa Barbara. These contests, paired with games against Oklahoma and Mississippi State, along with our typically tough midweek local opponents should prepare us for the ever-challenging Pac-12 slate,” explained head coach Hubbs. “Given the whole picture, I feel as though we have one of the most difficult schedules in the country. If we do what we expect this team to do during the season and take care of business to reach the postseason, I expect our squad to be battle tested because of this schedule.”
The Trojans open the season playing eight of their first 10 games at home.
This year’s Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic is set for the weekend of March 4-6, with the Trojans hosting Oklahoma on Friday, March 4 and Mississippi State on Saturday, March 5th , before facing crosstown rival UCLA at Dodger Stadium on March 6.
A huge road test will come for the Trojans March 11-13 as they travel to 2015 College World Series participant TCU for a three-game series.
The Trojans will have their hands full with the usual midweek competition, including home-and-homes against Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton, and UC Irvine. UCONN also makes a trip out west for a game on Wednesday, March 16.
During the team’s Pac-12 bye week, the Trojans have scheduled a tough nonconference series will start on Thursday, March 24 with two away games and one home game against UCSB.
The Trojans open up Pac-12 play at home on March 18, as they welcome California to Deadeaux Field for a three-game series. Their next conference series is on the road, when the Trojans travel to Stanford (April 1-3) before hosting Utah the following weekend (April 8-10).
A key series will be May 13-15, where the Trojans will travel across town to compete against rival UCLA. The Trojans also host Arizona (April 29-May 1), Washington (May 6-8), and Oregon State (May 20-22) before closing out the season in Tempe against Arizona State (May 27-29).
Other Pac-12 road series include at Oregon (April 15-17) and Washington State (April 22-24).
Overall the team is scheduled to play 30 games at home and 26 games on the road.
2016 USC Baseball Schedule (PDF)
