MONTGOMERY – The Alabama State baseball program has announced its 2015 schedule, a 50-game regular season slate for the SWAC Eastern Division champions and conference runners-up.
The Hornets are coming off a school-record 37 wins during the 2014 season, which saw Alabama State win its first division title in 20 years and advance to the SWAC Tournament title game for the first time ever.
Among the highlights of the schedule are five opponents and 12 games against teams which played last year’s NCAA Tournament, including Louisville, who advanced the College World Series, Cal-State Fullerton, Florida State, Jacksonville State, and Jackson State.
“Our schedule is once again very competitive and will test our team both physically and mentally,” fourth-year Alabama State head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez said. “We are playing teams for the first time in the history of the program that are traditionally national championship contenders. Our team will be ready for a challenging 2015 schedule and our expectations are very high.”
The opening weekend is filled with first-time matchups, as the Hornets open on the road for the second time in the Melendez era. Alabama State will face Louisville, Cal-State Fullerton, and South Florida in a three-game season opening tournament at USF Feb. 13-15.
Alabama State will play the first of two games at Auburn on Feb. 18 before opening the home schedule in a three-game weekend series against MEAC Regular Season champion Florida A&M Feb. 21-22 at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
The Hornets will complete the five game home stand with mid-week contests against South Alabama (Feb. 24) and UAB (Feb. 25), before traveling to play a three-game weekend series at The Citadel (Feb. 27- Mar. 1).
Alabama State will host Troy on March 3 before opening Southwestern Athletic Conference play with back-to-back series at Mississippi Valley St. (March 7-8) and at Alcorn St. (March 14-15). ASU will complete the seven-game road trip at South Alabama (Mar. 17).
The Hornets will then play 18 of their next 22 games at home. ASU will host Jacksonville St. (Mar. 18) before the conference home opener with Alabama A&M March 21-22 and a home game with Samford (March 24). Alabama State will then travel to Florida State (March 25) before returning home to host Jackson State March 28-29, and end the month at Troy March 31.
Alabama State will open April with seven consecutive home games, with weekend series against Savannah State (April 3-4) and Mississippi Valley State (April 11-12) sandwiched around an April 7 game against Jacksonville State.
The Hornets will play at Auburn (April 14) and at Jacksonville State (April 15) before playing their final home games of the season against Alcorn State (April 18-19).
Alabama State will end the regular season with SWAC series at Alabama A&M (April 25-26), and at Jackson State (May 2-3) before a non-conference game at UAB (May 5).
The SWAC Tournament will be held May 13-17 in New Orleans.
