MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Highlighted by 23 home games and 21 games against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2017, West Virginia University Director of Athletics Shane Lyons has announced the 2018 baseball schedule.
Fresh off their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 21 years, the Mountaineers will play 54 regular-season games, with 23 coming at Monongalia County Ballpark, 30 on the road and one at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
“I am really excited about this year’s schedule,” sixth-year head coach Randy Mazey said. “It’s a challenging schedule, with 21 games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament, nearly 40 percent of our season, but I know that will help us as we look to make the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year. We’ll open with 15 games on the road and then play a lot of home games in April and May, which I am really looking forward to, and I know our fans are as well.”
WVU’s 23-game home slate includes games against Big 12 foes Oklahoma State (April 13-15), Kansas State (April 20-22), Texas (April 27-29) and Baylor (May 17-19), along with regional rivals Pitt (March 27), Maryland (May 1), Virginia Tech (May 9) and Marshall (May 15). UT, OSU, BU and Maryland all made the NCAA Tournament last season.
Season tickets and mini-packages for the 2018 season will go on sale on Monday, Nov. 20, at WVUGAME.com or by calling 1-800-WVU GAME.
“We have a really good home schedule, with 10 games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year along with games against regional rivals that fans are always excited to see,” Mazey added. “I know our fans are excited for the upcoming season. They helped create a tremendous home field advantage last year which propelled us to the NCAA Tournament, and I can’t wait to see them back at Monongalia County Ballpark in 2018.”
The Mountaineers’ road schedule includes a series at Jacksonville (Feb. 16-18) to open the season, a four-game tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Feb. 23-25), and mid-week contests at Pitt (April 17) and vs. Marshall (April 25) in Charleston, West Virginia, along with a matchup against Penn State at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, on April 10. In Big 12 play, West Virginia travels to Oklahoma (March 23-25), Texas Tech (March 29-31), Kansas (May 4-6) and TCU (May 11-13).
Seven of the Big 12’s nine teams are coming off an NCAA Tournament berth a year ago.
The season unofficially begins with the sixth annual WVU Baseball Leadoff Dinner, presented by Lumos Networks, on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. The event will feature guest speaker Domingo Ayala and emcee Pittsburgh Dad. To reserve your table or tickets to the Leadoff Dinner, register online at WVUMAC.com/Events or call 304-293-2294. More information on the event, held at the Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place, can be found on WVUsports.com.
The 2018 campaign commences with 15 consecutive road games. Opening day is set for Feb. 16 to begin a three-game series at Jacksonville. A return to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, follows, for the Brittain Resorts Invitational. WVU will play VCU twice and Illinois and host-Coastal Carolina once from Feb. 23-25.
The Mountaineers then travel to Western Kentucky (March 2-4) before five games in Tennessee. The week in the Volunteer State begins with a weekend series at Middle Tennessee State (March 9-11), followed by a pair of mid-week contests at Tennessee Tech (March 13-14), an NCAA Tournament team in 2017.
The home opener at Monongalia County Ballpark is slated for Friday, March 16, at 3 p.m. ET vs. Canisius, before the Mountaineers and Golden Griffins also meet on Saturday and Sunday. WVU then hosts La Salle on Tuesday, March 20.
Big 12 play begins at Oklahoma (March 23-25), before the Mountaineers host Pitt on March 27. WVU returns to the road to face Texas Tech (March 29-31) and Penn State (April 3).
Thirteen of West Virginia’s next 16 games are at home, starting with Oklahoma State (April 13-14), followed by Kansas State (April 20-22), Texas (April 27-29) and Maryland (May 1). WVU barely leaves the Morgantown area in that stretch, with a trip to PNC Park to face Penn State on Tuesday, April 10, a return trip to the Steel City on April 17, at Pitt, and an in-state showdown against Marshall on April 25 at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston.
The contest vs. Maryland on May 1 is a rematch of the 2017 NCAA Tournament, where WVU earned a pair of wins against the Terrapins to advance to the NCAA Regional Final. WVU then travels to Kansas (May 4-6) before hosting Virginia Tech (May 9). The road portion of the regular season concludes at TCU (May 11-13), as the Horned Frogs are coming off a College World Series berth.
The final four games of the regular season are at home, beginning with Marshall on May 15. Baylor closes the regular season from May 17-19.
Postseason play begins at the Big 12 Championship, from May 23-27. The event will once again be held in Oklahoma City at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
