BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head baseball coach Chris Lemonis has announced the program’s 2016 schedule. The slate will include 27 home games, five NCAA Tournament teams from 2015, and a 2015 College World Series participant.
“I am extremely excited for our upcoming season,” said Lemonis. “We feel like we have put together a very challenging schedule for this year’s team. Trips to Middle Tennessee, Cal State Fullerton and to the state of Florida to start the year will really test our ball club. I am really excited about our midweeks and some of the teams we have the opportunity to play. The game against Notre Dame in Indianapolis is always the highlight of our schedule, as we had nearly 8,700 fans there last year. We have a chance to play a nationwide schedule and have an opportunity to play some teams in a lot of great leagues. Our Big Ten schedule is tougher than ever with how much the league has grown.”
The Hoosiers’ first 10 games of the season will be away from home, opening the season with a three-game series in Murfreesboro, Tenn. to take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Last season, Middle Tennessee finished fourth in a very strong Conference USA, posting a 19-11 record in league games. After Murfreesboro, IU will head west to take on 2015 CWS participant Cal State Fullerton, who the Hoosiers swept last year in Bloomington. Indiana closes out the 10-game road trip with neutral site games in Port Charlotte, Fla., March 3-6. The Hoosiers will play Seton Hall twice and Illinois State and Butler once in Port Charlotte.
The home opener at Bart Kaufman Field will take place March 11, as the Hoosiers host Western Carolina in the first game of a three-game set. Following a midweek trip to Evansville on March 15, Indiana will host five-straight home games with four against Toledo including a doubleheader on March 19 and a midweek contest with Butler. IU will head to Indiana State on March 25, before returning to Bloomington on the 26th and 27th to host the Sycamores. Midweek slates against Cincinnati and Evansville on March 29 and 30 will close out the month.
Big Ten play opens on April 1, as Indiana will travel to Rutgers. Following a midweek game at Cincinnati, IU will have seven-straight home games, beginning with a three-game set against rival Purdue beginning on April 8. After a midweek home game with Ball State on April 13, the Hoosiers host 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Iowa beginning on April 15.
IU will then play five-straight games away from home, beginning at Xavier on April 20. The Hoosiers travel to East Lansing on April 22 to open a three-game set with Michigan State. Indiana’s contest with Notre Dame will again take place at Victory Field in Indianapolis on April 26. Following the clash with the Irish, action returns to Bart Kaufman Field as Xavier comes to town on April 27, leading into a three-game set with the Northwestern Wildcats starting on April 29.
Following a Big Ten road trip at Minnesota May 6-8, Indiana will play its final four home games of the season, beginning with SEC foe Kentucky on May 10. Illinois, a 2015 NCAA Super Regional participant, makes its trip to Bloomington for three games beginning on May 13.
The last four games of the regular season for the Hoosiers will be on the road, with the first game coming at Louisville on May 17. A three-game set at Nebraska starting on May 19 will close the regular season.
This year’s Big Ten Tournament will take place in T.D. Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.
2016 Indiana Baseball Schedule
