MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (November 25, 2019) – Highlighted by 24 home games and four Big 12 series at Monongalia County Ballpark, West Virginia University Director of Athletics Shane Lyons announced the 2020 baseball schedule on Monday.
The Mountaineers’ 52-game slate is highlighted by the earliest home opener in program history, two homestands of at least seven games and home series against conference foes Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Baylor. In all, WVU will play 17 games against teams which qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season and 36 against teams that earned a top-100 RPI in 2019.
“We’re really excited about playing another challenging schedule,” WVU coach Randy Mazey said. “We always look forward to playing tough games in the Big 12, and our nonconference opponents will only add more tests for the team. We can’t wait for the opportunity to get our season started.”
WVU is set to take on seven teams that are coming off NCAA Tournament runs, including Baylor, Coastal Carolina, Liberty, Mercer, TCU, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders advanced to the College World Series a year ago, while the Cowboys reached the Super Regionals.
The Mountaineers’ home schedule features three-game, weekend series against Big 12 opponents Texas (April 3-5), Kansas State (April 17-19), Oklahoma State (April 24-26) and Baylor (May 1-3). WVU also hosts George Mason for a three-game series from March 27-29, as well as the College of Charleston from May 8-10.
WVU rounds out its home portion of the schedule by hosting Canisius on Feb. 18, marking the earliest home opener in program history. The game will be the second-ever February home game in Morgantown, and it will top the previous record from last season (Feb. 19, 2019). The squad also will host Liberty (March 11), Maryland (April 7), Akron (April 14), Marshall (April 21) and Pitt (May 12) in nonconference action at Monongalia County Ballpark.
On the road, West Virginia opens the 2020 season with a three-game series at Jacksonville from Feb. 14-16. After the historic home opener, WVU hits the road again to participate in the Brittain Resorts Invitational in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from Feb. 21-24, featuring games against Kennesaw State, Saint Joseph’s, Illinois and host Coastal Carolina.
From there, West Virginia will compete in the Central Virginia Challenge from Feb. 28-March 1. The Mountaineers will take on VCU and Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, as well as William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, during the three-day event. The squad’s road trip continues with a three-game slate at Mercer from March 6-8.
WVU’s road schedule also features three-game sets against Big 12 foes Texas Tech (March 13-15), Kansas (March 20-22), TCU (April 9-11) and Oklahoma (May 15-17). Additionally, the Mountaineers will take on Marshall on March 25, at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, West Virginia, as well as Pitt on March 31, in Pittsburgh. WVU also has a mid-week nonconference game at Penn State scheduled for April 28.
The Big 12 Championship is set for May 20-24, at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The Mountaineers had one of the most successful seasons in program history last spring, finishing with a record of 38-22, the most wins under Mazey and second-most ever. WVU reached the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, and it hosted its first NCAA Regional since 1955. West Virginia also played in the Big 12 Championship Final for the second time in four seasons.
A program-record eight Mountaineers were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft, including right-handed pitcher and 11th-overall pick, Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-American Alek Manoah, while 11 earned All-Big 12 honors, most in program history. Additionally, Mazey was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year last season after leading the squad to a top-25 ranking in each of the final eight weeks of the season.
