RICHMOND — University of Richmond baseball coach Tracy Woodson has announced the Spiders’ schedule for the upcoming 2016 season. UR will open the season on the road February 19th in a tournament at UNC Wilmington and will begin their 28-game home slate February 26th versus St. Peter’s.
The schedule is highlighted by six games against teams that were in the NCAA tournament last season. Topping the non-conference portion of the schedule will be a May 17th meeting in Charlottesville with defending National Champion Virginia. NCAA Super Regional participant Maryland will visit Pitt Field on April 12th.
Richmond will face six teams that finished the year in the top 100 RPI index, beginning with the opening weekend against St. John’s and UNCW, which were 71st and 36th, respectively, in the rankings and later in the year against College of Charleston, which finished 15th.
“We’re basically trying to prepare ourselves to go into conference play,” Woodson said of the non-conference portion of the schedule “I think when you go to these tournaments and play UNCW and Wake Forest, you’re trying to challenge yourself.”
The non-conference schedule will also include contests with state rivals William and Mary, VMI and James Madison, as well as in-state foes Longwood and Norfolk State.
Richmond will begin its 24-game Atlantic 10 schedule on March 24th against Saint Joseph’s, and will also face NCAA participant and cross-town rival VCU in conference play this season after not facing the Rams in 2015.
The Spiders will host their own tournament this season, the Spider Invitational. New York Tech, Penn State, and Princeton will come to Pitt Field March 11th thru 14th for a round robin tournament.
“We wanted to do something where we had teams coming here and not just us going to tournaments,” Woodson said. “We’re excited to get three teams in and hopefully that brings a little excitement and we continue it each year.”
2016 Richmond Baseball Schedule
