COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina baseball team has announced the 2016 schedule that features 35 home games at Founders Park. The Gamecocks open the season on Friday, Feb. 19, hosting a three-game series vs. Albany.
South Carolina and Clemson will meet in a unique three-game setting for a seventh consecutive year. The series opens in Columbia on Friday, Mar. 4 vs. Clemson with first pitch set for 7 p.m. The series shifts to the Reedy River Rivalry game at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, on Saturday, and concludes in Clemson on Sunday afternoon. The Gamecocks will play three times at Fluor Field with contests vs. USC Upstate (March 15) and Furman (April 20) as well. As announced last week, the Gamecocks will also face North Carolina on April 12 at BB&T Ballpark, home of the -Charlotte Knights, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
South Carolina’s 30-game SEC slate begins Friday, Mar. 18, with Carolina hosting Arkansas. South Carolina also hosts Tennessee (April 8-10), Missouri (April 22-24), Florida (April 29-May 1) and Texas A&M (May 13-15). SEC three-game series opponents on the road are Ole Miss (Mar. 24-26), Vanderbilt (Mar. 31-April 2), Georgia (April 15-17), Kentucky (May 6-8) and Alabama (May 19-21).
Additional in-state contests for the Gamecocks include Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, College of Charleston, Presbyterian, The Citadel, Winthrop and Wofford. Other non-conference opponents include Appalachian State, Penn State and Davidson.
South Carolina has ranked among the top three in the nation in total attendance in five consecutive years including a mark of 250,057 last season as well as a season-high 6,049 season tickets sold last year.
The full TV schedule will be released on a later date.
South Carolina closes out the Garnet & Black World Series this week with a pair of games. The Gamecocks head to Lexington County Baseball Stadium on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Tickets are $5 with all proceeds to benefit the Salvation Army Flood Relief efforts. The series returns to Founders Park on Friday for the series finale with first pitch scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday’s series finale is open to the public as well.
