Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
10/6/2019 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
Murfreesboro, Tenn.- With a roster that features 33 newcomers, Middle Tennessee will begin a new decade of baseball with a schedule that features a challenging non-conference slate along with what promises to be some exciting action at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
The Blue Raiders open the 2020 season with a series in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as they'll meet with the reigning ACC champion the North Carolina Tar Heels for a weekend series beginning on Valentines Day [Feb. 14]. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Middle Tennessee opens the season at home in the annual SAF Classic. The series includes Bradley, Evansville, Samford, and Missouri State with those games slotted for Feb. 20-23. Later in the season, the Blue Raiders welcome the Memphis Tigers to Murfreesboro for a two-game midweek clash that will take place on March 10 and 11. The Blue Raiders host a talented grout of Conference USA opponents this season. The list includes: UTSA, FAU, UAB, Charlotte and Marshall before ending the regular season against Rice.
After opening the season at North Carolina, Middle Tennessee will be faced with some tough battles on the road in 2020. Some notable road series and games this season include: Alabama, Coastal Carolina and Southern Mississippi before closing out the regular season road-slate in Nashville against the reigning national champion Vanderbilt Commodores on May 12.
Conference play begins on March 13 when the Blue Raiders face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in a weekend series in Ruston, Louisiana. Aside from the aforementioned C-USA teams, Middle Tennessee will also have to go through Western Kentucky, Florida International, and the 2019 C-USA champion Southern Mississippi in order to earn its' first conference tournament berth since 2015.
"This is a tremendously difficult schedule that should put us in a position to have a very good RPI if we can win enough games," said Head Coach Jim Toman. "Conference USA is always very good and the non conference games are full of regional and nationally recognized programs. Our guys are excited for the 2020 season."
Season tickets will go on sale in December. Follow @MT_Baseball on Twitter or Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Baseball on Facebook for news and updates.
