TEANECK, N.J. – Head Coach Gary Puccio and the Fairleigh Dickinson baseball team announced the 2017 schedule on Friday afternoon. This season’s 46-game schedule features 17 home dates and the annual 21-game Northeast Conference slate.
Last season, the Knights matched the program’s season-high for wins with 28 and returned to the NEC Tournament for the first time since 2012.
On what to expect this season, coach Puccio said, “After our success last year, I felt it was important to upgrade the level of our non-conference schedule so that we are better prepared for our conference games. Playing a three-game series with teams such as St. John’s, Xavier, and St. Louis will definitely test our abilities to perform at a higher level. Hopefully the team, even with 17 new players, will rise to the occasion.”
Coach Puccio begins his seventh season at the helm as the Knights open the 2017 campaign on Friday, February 17 with three games in three days at Savannah State University in Savannah, Ga. The two teams squared off twice back in 2013 with each squad coming away with a victory.
Following the trip to Georgia, the Knights head to Davidson, N.C. for three games at Davidson College. The team opens up against Lehigh (Feb. 25), followed by UMass Lowell (Feb. 26) and then wraps up against the host Wildcats on Sunday, February 27.
The trip to North Carolina is followed by three games at St. Louis University (Mar. 3-5) before the Knights return to New Jersey for their home opener on Tuesday, March 7 against Lafayette.
The home opener against Lafayette begins a stretch of five-of-six in Teaneck for the Knights. NJIT comes to town on Wednesday, March 8 then the Knights head to Hofstra for one game on March. 15 before NEC action commences.
Defending NEC Champion Bryant University marks the start of conference play for the Knights. The Bulldogs come to the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex for the three-game series (Mar. 17-20).
A stretch of road games awaits the Knights following the series with the Bulldogs as they play three against Wagner (Mar. 24-26), a game against Siena (Mar. 29) and three at Xavier (Mar. 31-Apr. 2). The seven games away from home are broken up by one home contest against Albany on Tuesday, March 28.
April continues with three home games against Mount St. Mary’s (Apr. 7-9), a road series at Sacred Heart (Apr. 13-15) then a pair of home games against Delaware State (Apr. 18) and Saint Peter’s (Apr. 19).
The Knights then play seven straight on the road with a trip to Queens, N.Y. to face St. John’s (Apr. 21-23), followed by Bryant (Apr. 28-30), then one game at nearby Saint Peter’s (May 2).
The season concludes with nine NEC games, six of which will be played at Naimoli. The Knights host Wagner (May 5-7) and LIU Brooklyn (May 12-14) before wrapping up regular season action at Central Connecticut State (May 19-21).
2017 Fairleigh Dickinson Schedule
