South Alabama Baseball 2014 Schedule Includes Arkansas, Mississippi State and LSU

MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama baseball coach Mark Calvi released the Jaguars’ 2014 schedule on Thursday, a slate that includes six teams that reached NCAA regionals last season and two College World Series participants, among them last year’s national runner-up.

Opening Weeks

South Alabama opens with a three-game series against Tennessee Tech at Eddie Stanky Field on Feb. 14-16, then hosts Alabama State on Feb. 18. The Jaguars travel to New Orleans to play former conference opponent New Orleans in a three-game series Feb. 21-23.

South Alabama returns home to host Jacksonville State in a two-game midweek series Feb. 25-26 before starting a five-game road trip.

Five-Game Road Trip

The trip begins with a three-game series at Arkansas in Fayetteville from Feb. 28 to March 2. The Razorbacks were runners-up at the NCAA Manhattan (Kan.) Regional last season.

The Jaguars then play at Jackson State on March 4 and at Mississippi State on March 5. The game in Starkville is a rematch of a winners’ bracket game at last season’s NCAA Starkville Regional, which the Bulldogs won on their way to finishing as College World Series runner-up.

Back Home and Into League Play

South Alabama hosts Southern Illinois in a three-game series March 7-9, then makes a midweek trip to Hattiesburg to face Southern Miss before opening Sun Belt Conference play at home against Troy on March 14-16.

Midweek Games During Conference Season

• March 19 at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.)
• March 25 vs. Nicholls State
• April 1 at Southeastern Louisiana (Hammond, La.)
• April 2 vs. Southern Miss
• April 9 at Nicholls State (Thibodaux, La.)
• April 15 vs. Southeastern Louisiana
• April 22 at Auburn (Auburn, Ala.)
• April 30 at Alabama State (Montgomery, Ala.)

The Sun Belt Conference tournament will be played at Eddie Stanky Field in Mobile from May 21 to May 25.

Calvi on the Schedule

“It’s a good schedule,” Calvi said. “With our league being as tough as it is, you want to get your guys ready for that type of competition. To be ready for the postseason and get to where we want to go, you have to get used to playing high-quality teams. It’s a great experience for our guys. They come to South Alabama for the tradition and the fact that we’ll play anybody on the road or at home.”

“We’re excited about this schedule. We definitely have our hands full. There’s no doubt about it, good competition allows you to see what you have and don’t have,” Calvi said. “It’s a great measuring stick to play a tough schedule.”