COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball is excited to announce a competitive 2017 schedule that features 16 games against NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago and SEC home series against Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Texas A&M and South Carolina, announced Tuesday by first-year head coach Steve Bieser. Mizzou opens the season with a four-game series against Eastern Michigan on Feb. 17 at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla.
“We are really happy to unveil our schedule for the upcoming season and I am excited about the schedule that our staff has put together,” Bieser said. “We really took the time to put together a schedule that will prepare our team for the competition that comes during SEC play. Our SEC schedule obviously gives us the chance to measure ourselves against some of the nation’s elite teams and we are excited to get started. Our home schedule gives our fans a chance to see some of the best college baseball in the nation this spring.”
For the second consecutive season, Mizzou will open the season at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla., hosting Eastern Michigan in a four-game series, beginning Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. The Tigers then head to Corpus Christi, Texas, for the second weekend of play, playing Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Houston and Illinois from Feb. 23-26. Mizzou last played in Corpus Christi during the 2015 season, going 3-1 during the second weekend that year, allowing just four runs over the four games.
Mizzou opens its home schedule with a nine-game homestand, beginning March 3 with a three-game set against Illinois-Chicago. Eastern Illinois visits Taylor Stadium midweek on March 7 before Mizzou hosts a three-game weekend series against Appalachian State (March 10-12) and a two-game midweek series with Chicago State (March 14-15).
Bieser’s group will open SEC play at Alabama, playing in the Tide’s recently renovated Sewell-Thomas Stadium on March 17-19. It marks Mizzou’s first trip to Alabama since May of 2013. A midweek contest with UALR at Taylor Stadium awaits on March 21 before Mizzou hosts Arkansas in the SEC home opener on March 24-26. Mizzou defeated nationally-ranked Arkansas in a three-game series last season in Fayetteville.
Spring Break week opens as Mizzou will continue an eight-game homestand with Bieser welcoming his former team, Southeast Missouri, to Taylor Stadium on March 28 with a 3 p.m. first pitch. Florida then comes to Taylor Stadium that weekend (March 31-April 2) for another exciting SEC home series. Mizzou will then play Illinois for the second time during the 2017 season, doing so at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill., for the third consecutive season. That game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch on April 4.
Mizzou is slated to play a Thursday-Saturday series at Georgia on April 6-8 before returning home for a six-game homsetand, beginning with a two-game series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on April 11-12. Kentucky then comes to Taylor Stadium from April 14-16 and Mizzou renews its in-state rivalry with Missouri State on April 18 with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. at Taylor Stadium.
Mizzou will then make its second trip to Ole Miss since joining the SEC for a three-game series from April 21-23 before playing the return trip to Missouri State on April 25 at Hammons Field in Springfield. Texas A&M visits Taylor Stadium from April 28-30 and Mizzou opens May with a midweek home game against Murray State on May 2. A three-game series at Vanderbilt follows that weekend (May 5-7).
Finals week follows and Mizzou will be off during that midweek period before welcoming South Carolina to Taylor Stadium on May 12-14. A midweek contest against Eastern Kentucky on May 16 and a road series at Tennessee from May 18-20 round out the regular season slate before Mizzou heads to Hoover, Ala., for the SEC Tournament from May 23-28.
