STORRS, Conn. – On Monday, UConn baseball head coach Jim Penders announced the Huskies’ 2019 schedule. The 56-game slate includes 24 American Athletic Conference contests and 19 home games.
First built in 1968, the Huskies will play its final season at J.O. Christian Field in 2019 before moving into their new on campus stadium. UConn is slated to play 15 home games in Storrs.
The Huskies will also play four additional home games at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats, against Cincinnati (April 5-6) and Wichita State (May 3-4). Tickets and more information will become available
UConn will face another challenging schedule in 2019, playing 37 games against 16 programs that finished 2018 in the Top-100 of the RPI. Additionally, the Huskies face eight teams that reached the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
“The American has clearly established itself as one of the top three or four baseball conferences in the country based on the RPI over the last few seasons,” said head coach Jim Penders. “So, the argument against scheduling so aggressively early in the year could be considered valid. It is true that we have one of the only programs in the Northeast whose RPI will benefit from conference play. However, philosophically, I still believe we need to prepare for the rigors of the AAC with quality opponents on the road in February, March, and beyond. In short, if we want to be the best, we have to beat the best.”
The Huskies open the season in Lakeland, Fla. against former Big East/American conference foe, Louisville in a three-game series beginning on Friday, Feb. 15. UConn last played the Cardinals in 2014.
The Huskies make three trips to the Palmetto state during non-conference play with a trip to College of Charleston (Feb 22-24), a four-game series vs. Michigan State (March 15-17) at Fluor Field in Greenville and a return trip to Conway S.C. for a tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina.
The tournament features the Chanticleers, Northeastern, Indiana and Illinois. The Huskies played at Spring Brooks Park during both the regular and postseason last year including the NCAA Conway Regional. The Huskies and Chanticleers played an epic elimination game that featured a go-ahead home run by Christian Fedko to advance the Huskies to the regional final.
UConn wraps up it early season non-conference slate by making a trip to San Marcos, Texas to play a three-game set at Texas State (March 8-10) and play a midweek game during spring break against 2015 National Champion Virginia, on March 20 in Charlottesville.
UConn opens conference play on the road against Houston (March 22-24) and will also make road trips to UCF (March 29-31), ECU (April 18-20) and Tulane (May 16-28)
Conference home series feature Cincinnati (April 5-7), Memphis (April 12-14), Wichita State (May 3-5) and USF (May 10-12).
During the Huskies conference bye weekend, April 26-28, UConn travels to Sam Houston State to face the perennial NCAA Tournament contending Bearkats.
The Huskies begin their Northeast midweek schedule with their home opener vs. Hartford on Tuesday, March 12. The home midweek schedule includes Boston College, Fairfield, UMass Lowell, Northeastern, CCSU and Rhode Island.
Road midweek games include Bryant, UMass and Rhode Island.
The American Athletic Conference Championship is back at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Fla. on May 21-26. The champion of the double-elimination format earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
