Golden Eagles release 2021 baseball schedule

From University of Southern Mississippi Sports Information Department

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – Thirty home games and an extra game in each Conference USA weekend series highlight the 2021 University of Southern Mississippi baseball schedule which was released Thursday morning by Coach Scott Berry.

After posting a 12-4 mark in a COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, the Golden Eagles return to play a 53-game schedule that features 28 teams that finished last spring among the top 100 in the Ratings Percentage Index of WarrenNolan.com

Three 2021 foes wound up in the abbreviated season’s Top 50 RPI: No. 3 University of Alabama; No. 30 Florida Atlantic University; and No. 48 Middle Tennessee State University.

USM opens the 2021 season by welcoming Northwestern State University Feb. 19-21 for a three-game set at Pete Taylor Park. After a midweek contest at the University of South Alabama on Feb. 23, the Golden Eagles return home to welcome the University of Connecticut.

USM and UConn will be meeting for the first time.

The Golden Eagles then begin a stretch of four consecutive road games as they travel to Pearl, Miss., to face Mississippi State University at Trustmark Park on March 2, before heading to Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite Jacksonville State University on March 5-7 for a three-game set.

USM then stays at home for six of its next seven games, starting with three against the University of Louisiana-Lafayette on March 12-14. A second, mid-week visit to South Alabama on March 16 sets up a three-game series with Missouri State University on March 19-21.

A trip to Tuscaloosa for a single contest against Alabama on March 23 is the final game before the Golden Eagles open Conference USA play against Louisiana Tech University on March 26-28 at Pete Taylor Park.

The Bulldogs and USM will also meet in Ruston, La., on April 16-18.

The home-and-home series with Louisiana Tech is a new wrinkle in the league schedule this year due to COVID-19.

USM will play 32 league games, as opposed to 30 the league had scheduled each season since 2014.

The league also will be divided into two divisions with USM, Louisiana Tech, MTSU, Rice University, University of Alabama-Birmingham and University of Texas-San Antonio in the West.

The University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University, Marshall University, Old Dominion University and Western Kentucky University in the East.

The format includes six in-division series and two cross division series. Each series will consist of four games, including a pair of scheduled seven-inning contests each Saturday in league play.

Other league home series include UAB on April 9-11, WKU on April 23-25 and MTSU May 7-9.

USM’s road conference series include UTSA on April 1-3, Rice on May 1-3 and Florida Atlantic on May 14-16.

The Golden Eagles will play just two midweek games during the final two months of the regular season, hosting South Alabama on April 13 and Southeastern Louisiana University on May 4,

The top eight teams from the C-USA regular season will then meet in Ruston, La., May 26-30, for the league’s baseball championship tournament. The Golden Eagles have played in the championship game in each of the last three tournaments, winning the last two events.

Per current executive order by governor Tate Reeves, seating will be limited to 25 percent capacity as the season begins.

Information regarding the home schedule this spring will be sent to season ticket holders. For students, information about student ticket distribution will be forthcoming.

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