ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan baseball program and head coach Erik Bakich announced the 2016 schedule Thursday (Oct. 29). The reigning Big Ten Conference Tournament champions are scheduled to play 15 games against 2015 NCAA Tournament teams and will host 20 games at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.
The Wolverines will open up the 2016 season Friday through Sunday, Feb. 19-21, with a four-game series against NCAA Regional participant Canisius. The neutral-site series will take place in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Michigan will then open up spring break in California on Friday, Feb. 26, and play games in San Jose, Santa Clara, Berkeley and Davis. The Maize and Blue will face Saint Joseph’s, Cal Poly, Santa Clara, California and San Jose State in a six-day, five-game stretch, before leaving to Davis, California, for a three-game series against UC Davis.
Following the trip to the West Coast, the Maize and Blue will head to Hawaii for a long weekend, playing four games against the University of Hawaii from Thursday to Sunday, March 10-13.
The next weekend will conclude a 19-game road series for Michigan, as the Wolverines head to Stillwater, Oklahoma, for a series against Oklahoma State from March 18-20. The Cowboys have appeared in 41 NCAA tournaments in their 106-year history, including a regional trip in 2015.
After more than one month on the road, Michigan will host its home opener at Fisher Stadium against Illinois-Chicago on Friday, March 25, with a 4 p.m. start. The four-game series will continue Saturday with a doubleheader and wrap up with a single game Sunday, March 27.
After a midweek home game against Central Michigan on Tuesday, March 29, the Maize and Blue will jump into Big Ten Conference play at Northwestern on the first day of April. The following week will feature two midweek games with a road contest against 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Notre Dame (April 5) and a home game against Bowling Green (April 6).
In addition to Big Ten series against Minnesota, Nebraska and NCAA Regional participant Iowa, the next three weeks will also feature two midweek contests against Eastern Michigan (April 14) and Toledo (April 20).
A three-game series against Michigan State will close out April play and springboard into May action with back-to-back midweek contests against Eastern Michigan and a Big Ten series against Rutgers at the Wilpon Complex.
After its final midweek game against Central Michigan and a conference series at Ohio State, the Maize and Blue will close out regular-season play with a series at Illinois. The Fighting Illini are Michigan’s only opponent of the season that advanced to a 2015 NCAA Super Regional.
The 2016 Big Ten Tournament will take place May 25-29 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska, home of the NCAA College World Series.
New season tickets and flex packs for the 2016 Michigan baseball season are on sale now. Tickets are priced at $80 for a reserved chairback and $40 for general admission. Renewals for current season ticket holders will be mailed in January. To purchase season tickets, visit the MGoBlue.com/tickets.
