JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The 2018 North Florida baseball campaign features a challenging slate highlighted by 2017 NCAA National Champions, Florida, and four other postseason teams from a season ago.
“We are excited about the 2018 baseball schedule,” head coach Tim Parenton said. “We are facing numerous teams that participated in the 2017 NCAA Baseball Tournament. Our home schedule is highlighted by a visit from the defending National Champion, Florida Gators. This schedule should prepare us for conference play in the ASUN. We are looking forward to a great year of baseball.”
The season starts with seven straight contests beginning with three games against Radford on Feb. 16. Southern Illinois then comes to town for three games on Feb. 23 before the Ospreys end the month against Florida. The National Champions come to Harmon Stadium on Feb. 27 before UNF travels to Gainesville, Fla. the next day.
The Ospreys return home to face UConn for three games starting on March 2 before hosting Jacksonville on March 6 for the Mayors Cup. The next day, UNF travels to Daytona Beach, Fla. for a game against Bethune-Cookman.
Harmon Stadium then plays host to Fairfield for a weekend series on March 9. UNF’s first overnight trip will be in Boca Raton, Fla. against FAU on March 13 and 14.
UNF returns to Jacksonville for a seven-game home stand starting on March 16 against Memphis. The Ospreys play a midweek contest against NCAA participant, USF, on March 20 before hosting a weekend series against Florida A&M on March 23.
The Ospreys open ASUN Conference play at crosstown rival, Jacksonville, for the River City Rumble on March 29. The month of April begins with a visit from ASUN opponent, USC Upstate, on April 6, before NCAA participant, Bethune-Cookman, visits Harmon Stadium to close a home-and-home series.
North Florida travels for the second time in conference play to face Kennesaw State on April 13. The Ospreys then trek south to close a home-and-home series with USF on April 17. The month of April ends with a four-game home series beginning with Savannah State on April 18, before hosting a weekend series against Stetson on April 27.
May begins with a five-game road trip, opening against Florida A&M on May 2. The road trip continues against conference opponent and NCAA participant, FGCU, in Fort Myers, Fla. on May 4. UNF concludes the non-conference portion of the schedule at Savannah State on May 8.
The Ospreys wrap-up its home schedule with a weekend series against Lipscomb on May 11, before traveling to NJIT for the weekend season finale in Newark, N.J on May 17.
North Florida serves as the host of the ASUN Tournament for the first time in school history at the end of the season. The top six teams from the conference will compete for the chance at the NCAA Tournament beginning on May 23.
