MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (November 5, 2015) – West Virginia University Director of Athletics Shane Lyons has released the 2016 baseball schedule, highlighted by 30 home games at Monongalia County Ballpark as part of a 56-game 2016 schedule.
The 2016 schedule features the most home games since playing 32 contests in 2008. The Mountaineers play a total of 13 games against teams that made the 2015 NCAA Tournament, including 10 of those games at home. WVU also will play nine games against four teams that won their conference championships a year ago.
“I’m super excited about the level of competition,” fourth-year coach Randy Mazey said. “I’m excited that we get to play 30 games at home this year. This will be our first full season in the new ballpark after practicing here this fall. I’m looking forward to it turning into a home field advantage.”
The 30-game home schedule includes games against reigning Big 12 Tournament champion Texas, as well as Oklahoma State, Baylor, Kansas State, Marshall, Pitt, Maryland and Virginia Tech. All but six home games, and every Big 12 game, will be played in April and May.
Opening day in the second season of Monongalia County Ballpark is set of Friday, March 11 vs. Old Dominion at 3 p.m., and the Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State will be on Friday, April 1, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. The home slate also includes a nine-game homestand from April 6-19 and a 12-game homestand from April 26-May 15.
“Thirty games here at the ballpark gives people in the community a lot of opportunities to come out and see us play,” Mazey said. “The fans will be a big part of our home field advantage, and I’m looking forward to having great crowds against outstanding teams.”
A 26-game road schedule is highlighted by a series at 2015 College World Series participant TCU, four games at UNLV and Hawaii, along with games vs. Marshall in Charleston and at Pitt and Penn State. The season-opening series at Charleston Southern is set for Feb. 19-21.
“From a player’s standpoint, the first three weekends you get to go to Charleston, Las Vegas and Hawaii, who wouldn’t want to do that?” Mazey said. “It will be a good test. If we’re going to make the postseason, we have to learn how to win on the road. We play a lot of games on the road early. We get to see some really nice places, and once we get through that, it’s time to start playing at home and get serious about a home field advantage.”
After the opening weekend in Charleston, South Carolina, the Mountaineers head west for a four game set at UNLV from Feb. 26-29, before facing Hawaii for four games on March 4-6.
WVU’s home opener is set for Friday, March 11 against Old Dominion. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., and the Mountaineers and Monarchs also will play the following day at 3 p.m., before concluding the weekend series on Sunday, March 13, at 1 p.m.
WVU plays its first game against a 2015 NCAA Tournament team on Tuesday, March 15, when it welcomes Radford to Morgantown. First pitch against the defending Big South Conference champions is set for 3 p.m.
West Virginia opens Big 12 play at TCU on March 18-20. The Horned Frogs won the Big 12 regular season title a year ago, finishing with a 51-15 record. The Mountaineers travel for a midweek game at Penn State before heading to Kansas on March 25-27.
The Mountaineers return home to face Canisius, the 2015 MAAC Champion, on March 29 and 30. The Big 12 home opening series is April 1-3 against Oklahoma State, another NCAA Tournament participant in 2015.
The in-state rivalry between WVU and Marshall resumes on Tuesday, April 5 in Charleston. The Mountaineers and Thundering Herd meet at 6 p.m. at Appalachian Power Park, home to the minor league’s West Virginia Power.
A nine-game homestand begins on Wednesday, April 6, vs. Eastern Michigan at 6:30 p.m. After a weekend series vs. Furman on April 8-10, the Backyard Brawl comes to Monongalia County Ballpark as WVU hosts Pitt on Tuesday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. The homestand concludes vs. Kansas State on April 15-17 and vs. Youngstown State on April 19.
WVU hits the road for three games at Oklahoma, April 22-24, before the Mountaineers return home on Tuesday, April 26 vs. Marshall at 6:30.The in-state rivalry begins a 12-game set at home, the final homestand of the regular season.
West Virginia hosts Baylor, April 29-May 1, before it welcomes Virginia Tech to town on Tuesday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. The final Big 12 home series is against Texas, the defending Big 12 Tournament champions, on May 6-8.
The homestand concludes vs. Maryland on Tuesday, May 10, before a doubleheader against William and Mary on Friday, May 13 and the home finale on Sunday, May 15.
The regular season ends at Texas Tech on May 19-21 before the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship begins on May 25 in Oklahoma City.
The complete 2015 WVU baseball schedule, with game times, can be found
here. All dates and times are subject to change, and fans are encouraged to stay tuned to WVUsports.com for additional updates. Additionally, information on season tickets for the 2016 baseball season will be released in the coming weeks.
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