KINGSTON, R.I. – Rhode Island baseball head coach Raphael Cerrato has released the team’s 2015 schedule, which includes eight games against teams that competed in last season’s NCAA tournament.
“We are very excited about our 2015 schedule,” Cerrato said. “Each year we want to play the best teams in the country and this year is no different.”
The Rams open the season on the road with back-to-back series at perennial NCAA powers Florida (Feb. 13-15) and North Carolina (Feb. 27-March 1). It will be Rhody’s second trip to Gainesville in recent years as URI also traveled to take on the Gators in 2011. The Rams’ matchup with the Tar Heels, however, will be just the second ever between the two programs and the first since 1967.
From there, Rhode Island travels to Marshall for a three-game set against the Thundering Herd (March 6-8). The Rams first faced the Herd last season in Myrtle Beach, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with a 6-5 win.
“Our coaching staff and student-athletes believe that we can compete with any team in the country, so these first three weekends will serve as a great measurement of where we’re at as a program,” Cerrato noted.
Rhody returns to Kingston for its home opener against Yale on March 14. The Rams will also face the Bulldogs on the 15th before hosting regional rivals Brown and Quinnipiac on the 17th and 18th, respectively.
Atlantic 10 play opens the following weekend at Saint Louis, where URI will play three against the Billikens, who claimed last year’s regular season title.
URI will then host Sacred Heart for three games – playing one on March 27 and two on March 28 – before closing out the four-game set at the Pioneers’ home field on the 29th.
After a pair of midweek games against Northeastern (March 31) and UMass Lowell (April 1), the Rams return to The Beck to take on A-10 newcomer Davidson in a three-game set on the 3rd and 4th (two games). Last season, the Wildcats were 29-19 overall and finished second in the Southern Conference at 17-8.
Rhode Island’s other home conference series are against Saint Joseph’s (April 10-12), George Washington (May 1-3) and La Salle (May 14-16) while the Rams travel to take on Richmond (April 17-19), VCU (April 24-26) and Massachusetts (May 8-10).
“I think the conference is going to be very strong this year,” Cerrato added. “It is going to be a battle each and every weekend.”
URI also will travel for midweek games at Quinnipiac (April 7), Bryant (April 8), Boston College (April 14), Hartford (April 22) and UMass Lowell (April 29). Rhody’s remaining non-conference home games will be against Bryant (April 21), Boston College (April 28) and Connecticut (May 12).
The 2015 Atlantic 10 Championship will be held at George Washington’s Barcroft Part, May 20-23.
