FARMVILLE, Va. – Right off the bat the Longwood Lancers will be tested as they begin the 2016 baseball season. The Lancers begin the season with a nonconference series at East Carolina, champions of the 2015 American Athletic Conference Tournament. That series opens a schedule that features three games against ACC opponents, including the defending national champion Virginia Cavaliers, a tough in-conference draw, and a series at Appalachian State to conclude the 2016 campaign.
“This year’s schedule is comprised of seven NCAA regional participants, three super regional teams and the defending national champion,” second-year head coach Ryan Mau said. “It is going to be an exciting road ahead and will make for some great experiences for our players and our program.”
In addition to UVA, East Carolina, Louisville, VCU, Morehead St., Coastal Carolina, and Radford made the NCAA tournament. Louisville and VCU made it to the super regionals while UVA went on to win the College World Series.
“Our league is getting stronger every year and the Big South is now considered a top 10 conference for baseball,” Mau said. “It is imperative that we continue to challenge our team with a strong nonconference slate so we are prepared when league play begins.”
The Lancers open Big South play with Radford and Coastal Carolina. The two teams finished first and second respectively in the Big South regular season with Radford beating Coastal Carolina in the Big South Tournament Championship.
The Lancers play 19 of their first 27 games at Buddy Bolding Stadium, but end the regular season with seven straight away from Farmville, which includes a midweek game at Duke. The Lancers will play Louisville, Duke, and UVA for their three matchups with ACC competition. All three games will be on the road.
Longwood’s schedule features nine games with teams from Virginia outside of the Big South Conference. The Lancers have home-and-home series with VCU, VMI, and Norfolk State with single games against Richmond, at George Mason, and at UVA.
The Lancers went 22-34 (9-15) in 2015 and won an elimination game in the Big South tournament, knocking off fourth-seeded Liberty 4-3. The 2016 Lancers team features 18 returners and 12 newcomers from 11 different states.
The Longwood Lancers begin the 2016 campaign at East Carolina on February 19 and open Buddy Bolding Stadium with a showdown against the Richmond Spiders on February 23.
2016 Longwood Baseball Schedule
