Photo by Matt Masters / Sidelines Archive
Middle Tennessee baseball and head coach Jim McGuire revealed the 2017 schedule on Tuesday which featured some familiar foes and notable names. The team is coming off a disappointing year where they finished 20-35, 5-24 C-USA and were unable to make it to the C-USA Tournament.
But with a now seasoned roster, this year’s MTSU team will look to shake things up in a conference that was ranked the third-toughest in baseball behind the ACC and SEC in 2016. MTSU will get their chance to do just that as they open conference play on March 9 in Boca Raton against the reigning C-USA regular season champ, Florida Atlantic.
For the tenth year in a row, MTSU will renew their home/away series with in-state clubs Tennessee and Vanderbilt. MTSU was swept by Tennessee last season, but was able to come back from a four-run deficit and get a win against No. 5 Vanderbilt at home, 7-4.
Including Vandy and FAU, the Blue Raiders will play against five 2016 NCAA Tournament teams this season. The three other opponents are C-USA schools Rice, La Tech, and Southern Miss. All in all, these tournament teams make up 14 games, or 25 percent, of MTSU’s 56-game regular season schedule.
Here is a glance at MTSU’s complete 2017 baseball schedule:
| Opponent | When | Where | 2016 Record | 2016 vs. Raiders |
| Georgia Southern | 2/17 – 2/19 | Statesboro, GA | 36-24 | DNP |
| Lipscomb | 2/21, 3/21 | Nashville | 31-27 | 1-1 |
| Northwestern | 2/24 | Murfreesboro | 15-39 | DNP |
| Bowling Green | 2/25 | Murfreesboro | 17-37 | DNP |
| Missouri State | 2/26 | Murfreesboro | 38-21 | DNP |
| Austin Peay | 2/28 | Clarksville | 30-23 | 0-2 |
| Kennesaw State | 3/3 – 3/5 | Murfreesboro | 29-27 | 1-2 |
| Memphis | 3/7 – 3/8 | Memphis, Jackson | 22-39 | 0-2 |
| Indiana | 3/10 – 3/12 | Bloomington, IN | 32-24 | 1-2 |
| Tennessee | 3/14 | Murfreesboro | 29-28 | 2-1 |
| Florida Atlantic | 3/17 – 3/19 | Boca Raton, FL | 39-19 | 2-1 |
| Lipscomb | 3/21 | Murfreesboro | 31-27 | 1-1 |
| Western Kentucky | 3/24 – 3/26 | Murfreesboro | 24-30 | 3-0 |
| Belmont | 3/28 | Nashville | 33-27 | 1-1 |
| Austin Peay | 3/29 | Murfreesboro | 30-23 | 0-2 |
| Marshall | 3/31 – 4/2 | Huntington, WV | 34-21 | 3-0 |
| Tennessee | 4/4 | Knoxville | 29-28 | 2-1 |
| Old Dominion | 4/7 – 4/9 | Murfreesboro | 32-24 | 2-1 |
| Belmont | 4/11 | Murfreesboro | 33-27 | 1-1 |
| UAB | 4/13 – 4/15 | Murfreesboro | 21-34 | 3-0 |
| Vanderbilt | 4/18 | Murfreesboro | 43-19 | 1-1 |
| Charlotte | 4/21 – 4/23 | Charlotte, NC | 23-32 | 1-2 |
| Tennessee Tech | 4/25 | Cookeville | 31-24 | 1-1 |
| Southern Miss | 4/28 – 4/30 | Murfreesboro | 41-20 | 3-0 |
| UTSA | 5/5 – 5/7 | San Antonio, TX | 17-34 | 2-0 |
| Tennessee Tech | 5/9 | Murfreesboro | 31-24 | 1-1 |
| Rice | 5/12 – 5/14 | Houston, TX | 38-24 | 2-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 5/16 | Nashville | 43-19 | 1-1 |
| La Tech | 5/18 – 5/20 | Murfreesboro | 42-20 | 3-0 |
| C-USA Tournament | 5/24 – 5/28 | Biloxi, MS |
| NCAA Regionals | 6/2 – 6/4 | TBD |
| NCAA Super Regionals | 6/9 – 6/11 | TBD |
| NCAA College World Series | 6/17 – 6/28 | Omaha, NE |
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To contact Sports Editor Tyler Lamb (@Tlamb35), email sports@mtsusidelines.com.
