KINGSTON, R.I. – Rhode Island baseball head coach Raphael Cerrato has released the team’s 2016 schedule, which includes nine games against teams that competed in last season’s NCAA Super Regionals.
“We have a very challenging early-season schedule once again but that is exactly what we want,” Cerrato explained. “We want to compete against the very best teams in the country every single season. We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The Rams open the 2016 campaign on the road with back-to-back series at 2015 Super Regional participants Florida State (Feb. 19-21) and Maryland (Feb. 26-28). FSU ended last year ranked as high as 10th in the nation while Maryland was 14th in three polls and 15th in another. It will be Rhody’s third trip to Tallahassee in recent years as URI also traveled to take on the Seminoles in 2012 and 2013. The Rams’ matchup with the Terrapins, however, will be the first ever between the two clubs.
From there, Rhode Island travels to Winthrop for a three-game set against the Eagles (March 4-6). The Rams are 3-0 in the all-time series, having swept the three-game set when they visited Winthrop back in 2013.
“Florida State has one of the best college baseball atmospheres in the country and is perennially a top-five program nationally, so we’re excited to open up down there again,” Cerrato said. “Maryland has recently become another top 10-15 program and Winthrop – a tough Big South program – won 40 games last year, so these first three weekends will really test us and show where we’re at.”
Rhody then heads to Buies Creek, N.C. for the Campbell Invitational (March 11-13). There, the Rams will take on Indiana State (Friday) and Campbell (Saturday) before closing things out with a non-conference game against Atlantic 10 rival Davidson on Sunday.
The Rams will spend spring break week on the road, playing a three-game set at Towson (March 19-21) before traveling to Penn State for a midweek game (March 23).
A-10 play begins two days later with URI heading to Fairfax, Va. for its conference-opening series against George Mason (March 25-27).
Rhode Island’s home-opener will come on March 29 when Rhody welcomes Central Connecticut to Bill Beck Field. The Rams remain in Kingston for a game against Northeastern the following afternoon (March 30).
With the next weekend being the A-10 bye weekend for both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the teams will play one another a pair of non-conference games – at UMass on April 2 and at URI on April 3.
Quinnipiac (April 5) and Bryant (April 6) will then visit The Beck for a pair of midweek games before Rhody closes out the six-game homestand with three games against A-10 rival VCU.
“After losing to VCU in the finals of last year’s A-10 tournament, this is definitely a series our guys are looking forward to,” Cerrato said.
The Rams then hit the road for six straight – at Brown (April 12), Holy Cross (April 13), Fordham (April 15-17) and Hartford (April 20) – before returning home to host St. Bonaventure (April 22-24).
Rhode Island will also host A-10 series against Dayton (May 6-8) and Massachusetts (May 13-15) while traveling to take on Saint Joseph’s (April 29-May 1) and La Salle (May 19-21).
Rhody’s remaining non-conference games will be at home against Boston College (May 3) and Hartford (May 18) and on the road against Maine (April 26) and Connecticut (May 17).
The 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship will be held at Fordham’s Houlihan Park, May 25-28.
2016 URI Baseball Schedule
