LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock looks ahead to a new season as head coach Chris Curry reveals the 2018 game schedule.
The Trojans face another tough schedule with 14 teams that ended last season in the RPI’s top 150. Ten of those 14 finished in the RPI’s top 100 and five finished in the top 50. They also face four teams who advanced to the 2017 NCAA Regionals. Little Rock’s 56-game schedule is made up of 26 games played at Gary Hogan Field, 29 games on the road and one played at Dickey-Stephens Park.
“Well once again we’ve set out to create a schedule that will prepare and test our team,” Curry explained. “It’ll give us a chance to see where we have strengths and where we have weaknesses and see a wide range and variety of teams that are in different points of success in their programs.”
Little Rock opens its 2018 season in Cookeville, Tennessee, to take on NCAA Regional participant Tennessee Tech for a three-game series beginning on Feb. 16. From there, the Trojans head to Conway to play the first game of the Rock ‘n’ Roar Rivalry against Central Arkansas.
The Trojans will open up at Gary Hogan Field on Feb. 23 as they face off in a four-game series against Fort Wayne including a doubleheader on Feb. 25. They will take a quick midweek trip to Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Feb. 27 to face Big 12 opponent Oklahoma State before returning to Gary Hogan Field to play Northwestern State in a three-game series starting on March 2.
Little Rock will head to Oxford for a tough game against Ole Miss on March 7, leave for Memphis to play a three-game series against the Tigers starting on March 9 and then play Louisiana Tech on March 13 for the final game before conference play begins.
“There is a good balance of two weekends on the road and two weekends at home, which I feel will prepare our team for what is always a very challenging conference slate,” Curry said as he talked about their tough non-conference start.
Conference play begins on the road for Little Rock as they battle the Troy Trojans in a three-game series beginning on March 16 before heading back home for five games.
The homestand begins with the first leg of a home-and-home series against UAPB on March 20 before they welcome in UT Arlington for a three-game series beginning March 23. The Trojans will cap off the homestand on March 27 against NCAA Regional participant Oral Roberts.
Little Rock then leaves for San Marcos, Texas, to play Texas State in a three-game series on March 29. It’ll return home to Little Rock to play the second game of the Rock ‘n’ Roar Rivalry at Dickey-Stephens Park on April 3 before leaving again to play Louisiana Tech on April 4th.
The Trojans will enjoy the next two weekends at Gary Hogan Field playing Georgia Southern in a series on April 6 and ULM in a series on April 13. Sandwiched between those two series is a trip to Norman, Oklahoma, to play a midweek game on April 10 against powerhouse Big 12 opponent Oklahoma who reached the 2017 NCAA Regionals.
Little Rock will then play out the rest of April on the road beginning with a game against Northwestern State on April 18 before going to Lafayette to play Louisiana in a three-game series starting April 20. On April 24, it will play the second leg of the home-and-home series against UAPB on their field before flying to Appalachian State to play the Mountaineers in a series beginning on April 29.
The Trojans will then play host to defending Sun Belt Champions South Alabama for the first time in Curry’s coaching career at Little Rock. That series will open up on May 4.
“It will be nice to bat last against those guys,” Curry mentioned in his excitement. “It’s the first time since I’ve been here, due to weather or scheduling, that we’ve had South Alabama here in Little Rock.”
Little Rock then goes to Coastal Carolina for a three-game series on May 11 before closing out the regular season at home. First, the Trojans will face in-state opponent Central Arkansas on May 15. Finally, Littlle Rock will face Arkansas State starting on May 17.
The Trojans have their eyes set on a third straight Sun Belt Conference Tournament berth that will take place in Lafayette, Louisiana, on May 22-27.
2018 Little Rock Baseball Schedule
