Wolverines Release 2018 Schedule
1/8/2018 3:02:00 PM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team and head coach Erik Bakich announced the 2018 schedule on Monday (January 8). The Wolverines, who captured their first at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament since 2008 and had a record-breaking 11 players selected in the MLB Draft last June, will host 22 games at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.
Michigan will open up the 2018 season with a four-game series against Army in Port St. Lucie, Florida, beginning on Feb. 16. The series marks the third straight year that Michigan will open up its season at Tradition Field, as the Wolverines have played a series at the home of the Mets' High-A affiliate every season since 2007.
Michigan will then make a trip out to California over spring break on Friday, Feb. 23, to partake in the Tony Gwynn Classic in San Diego before heading north to face off against Stanford in a four-game series in Palo Alto. Following a three-game stretch at Lipscomb in Nashville, Tennessee, the Wolverines will return to Ann Arbor for their home opener inside Ray Fisher Stadium against Bowling Green (March 16).
After hosting Bowling Green in a three-game tilt, the Maize and Blue will take on some in-state rivals, including games against Western Michigan, Michigan State and Central Michigan. During that span, Michigan will kick off Big Ten play with a home-and-home series against the Michigan State Spartans (March 23-25). Following the rivalry games, the Wolverines will play host to the Delaware Blue Hens (March 30- April 1) in a four-game series in Ann Arbor, followed by a midweek contest against Toledo (April 4).
The Wolverines will hit the road for their first Big Ten road series on Friday, April 4, when they head to Evanston, Illinois, to face off against Northwestern. After the three-game set, Michigan will head home to Ann Arbor for crucial Big Ten bouts against Maryland and Penn State.
The following weeks will see the Maize and Blue on the road visiting Iowa (April 27-29), Eastern Michigan (May 2), Rutgers (May 4-6), Central Michigan (May 8) and Michigan State (May 9), with one quick stop at home in the middle to battle Eastern Michigan (May 2) at the Wilpon Complex. After hosting Illinois for a three-game set (May 11-13), the Wolverines will close out the regular season with three games at Purdue (May 17-19).
The 2018 Big Ten Tournament will take place May 20-25 in Omaha, Nebraska, at TD Ameritrade Park.
KEY COMPETITION DATES
Fri-Sun., March 2-4 -- vs. Stanford
The Wolverines have played Stanford just twice in program history and emerged victorious in both contests (1953 and 1983). Much like the Maize and Blue, Stanford is coming off an NCAA tournament appearance and will be looking to build on last season's strong 25-8 record when playing at home. With the series coming right in the middle of a 15-game road trip, the four-game series will be a good test for Michigan. The series opener will begin at 6 p.m. PT on Friday (March 2), followed by a doubleheader on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday.
Fri-Sun., March 23-25 -- vs. Michigan State
Big Ten Conference action will kick off in March when Michigan and Michigan State battle it out in a home-and-home series. The two in-state rivals have faced off a total of 306 times, with Michigan boasting a 198-106-2 all-time record, including a 3-1 record over the Spartans last season. The first game will begin at 4 p.m. Friday (April 23) at the Wilpon Complex in Ann Arbor before the teams travel to East Lansing for a 1 p.m. matchup on Saturday. The series will wrap up in Ann Arbor on Sunday with the finale slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Fri-Sun., April 27-29 -- vs. Iowa
After spending back-to-back weekends at home with Big Ten contests against tough Maryland and Penn State teams, the Wolverines will hit the road to wrap up the month of April with a series at Iowa. Though Michigan and Iowa did not meet last season, the Hawkeyes finished the 2017 season with a 19-4 record at home and a Big Ten Tournament title en route to its second NCAA berth in three seasons.
