COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team released its 2016 schedule Thursday. The Buckeyes will play 28 home games at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium, while 17 contests are against 2015 NCAA Tournament teams.
“We are going to see some solid competition to start the year in three early-season tournaments,” head coach Greg Beals said. “We will play three different ACC opponents along with two games at Coastal Carolina, who is annually in the NCAA Tournament. As you look at our home schedule, we are hosting Hofstra and Bethune-Cookman in two-non-conference weekends. In May, we host UAB and FAU for two strong midweek series late in the season vs. southern opponents.”
Ohio State opens the season Feb. 19-21 at the Historic Dodgertown Classic in Vero Beach, Fla., with contests against Niagara, Toledo and Pittsburgh. The Buckeyes will then travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for the Coastal Carolina Tournament Feb. 26-29 to face Duke, Liberty and the Chanticleers. The Scarlet and Gray close out their early-season tourney schedule with games against Seton Hall, Illinois State and Boston College March 4-6 at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla. Ohio State travels to Las Vegas, Nev., for a four-game series during its spring break trip March 11-15 against UNLV.
After a three-game series vs. Hofstra March 18-20 and a single game vs. Xavier March 22, Ohio State starts Big Ten play hosting Northwestern March 25-27. The Buckeyes travel to face in-state opponent Ohio March 29 before a home contest vs. Toledo March 30. A three-game series vs. Bethune-Cookman begins the month of April for the Scarlet and Gray. After a trip to Kent State April 5, the Buckeyes travel to Maryland for the first time April 8-10 in College Park, Md. Ohio State will then begin a six-game home slate with two contests vs. Morehead State April 12-13. Rutgers travels to Columbus for the first time for a three-game set April 15-17 before Ohio State welcomes Cincinnati to Bill Davis Stadium April 19.
“I think our conference is going to be strong again,” Beals said. “We open against Northwestern with Spencer Allen now at the helm for the Wildcats. We get our first trip to Maryland and I’m sure they will be a strong ball club again. We host that school up north to close out the home conference schedule and we expect a great series with great crowds in Columbus in May.”
The Buckeyes travel for back-to-back road conference series at Illinois April 22-24 and Purdue April 29-May 1 before concluding the final month of the regular season with an 11-game homestand (UAB, May 3-4; Iowa, May 6-8; FAU, May 10-11; and Michigan, May 13-15). Following Senior Day vs. the Wolverines, Ohio State hosts one final home game vs. Eastern Michigan May 17 before closing the regular season at Minnesota May 19-21.
The Big Ten Tournament is set for May 25-29 at TD AmeriTrade Stadium in Omaha, Neb.
“We are excited to return to Omaha for tournament play, home of the College World Series,” Beals said. “TD AmeriTrade Stadium is an incredible venue for college baseball.”
