GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University has released its 49-game baseball schedule for the upcoming 2020 campaign announced TU head coach Brandon Steele. (2020 Schedule)
The Pioneers will face another challenging slate with 22 games against teams who advanced to last year's NCAA Division II Tournament as well as a stiff 27-game South Atlantic Conference slate.
In his first year at the helm of the Tusculum program, Steele guided the Black and Orange to a 30-21 record and tied for third place in the conference standings. The Pioneers return 20 lettermen including five position starters and nine pitchers from the 2019 club. Two-time All-America second baseman Daulton Martin returns for his final collegiate campaign.
Tusculum will also be competing in its 21st season in the SAC and will play a pod schedule with nine, three-game series, but are not scheduled to face traditional league opponents Carson-Newman and Queens this season in SAC play. TU and Carson-Newman will meet in a mid-week, non-conference match-up in February.
The Pioneers will open on the road with the traditional trip to South Florida for four games against stiff competition from the Sunshine State Conference.
TU will open the season on Jan. 31 when they face Palm Beach Atlantic for a fourth straight year. The Sailfish posted a 24-25 record last year including a 7-1 win over the Pioneers to take a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.
Tusculum takes on Nova Southeastern on Feb. 1 as the Pioneers and Sharks square off for a fifth straight season. Nova finished in a three-way tie for first place in the Sunshine State Conference, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and ended the season with a 33-17 record.
TU will be at Lynn University on Feb. 2 to take on the Fighting Knights. Lynn accounted for a 20-28 worksheet in 2019 including a 7-6 win over the Pioneers snapping Tusculum's five-game winning streak in Boca Raton.
The Pioneers wrap-up the Florida trip with a Feb. 3 match-up at Embry-Riddle. The Eagles posted a 29-22 overall record and finished fifth in the Sunshine State Conference. But ERAU's strength of schedule was good enough to earn the Eagles their first-ever NCAA postseason berth. TU and Embry-Riddle meet on the diamond for the first time since 2018, a 10-3 win by the Eagles. The two teams will meet again for a two-game mid-week series in Greeneville in March.
The Pioneers host Southeast Region power Belmont Abbey for a three-game series at Pioneer Park on Feb. 7-8. The Crusaders tied for fourth place in Conference Carolinas and went 27-24 including a three-game home sweep over the Pioneers.
Tusculum and Carson-Newman square off in Jefferson City on Feb. 12 in a non-conference match-up. The Pioneers won last year's series 2-1 vs the Eagles and have been victorious in three of its last four games played at the Silver Diamond Complex.
TU kicks off a nine-game home-stand when they host Gannon University for a four-game weekend series, Feb. 15-16. The Golden Knights went 33-17 last year and were the West Division Champions of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and later advanced to the NCAA Tournament. This is the first time TU and Gannon have faced off in baseball.
The Pioneers welcome Young Harris on Feb. 18 in the first of two meetings this year. The Mountain Lions are coming off their best season in program history, posting a 36-21 campaign and captured YHC's first Peach Belt Conference Tournament title. Young Harris earned the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament and ended the season with a No. 29 national ranking.
Tusculum opens SAC play Feb. 21-22 against defending region champion Catawba. The Catawba Indians posted a 47-14 record last year including a 13-game winning streak in sweeping both the SAC Tournament and went undefeated through NCAA Regional and Super Regional play to advance to the College World Series. Catawba defeated Tusculum in the opening round of the SAC Tournament last year in the only meeting of the season between the Pioneers and Indians. The two teams finished tied for third place in the league standings.
Tusculum hosts in-state foe King University for a mid-week game on Feb. 25 to close out the home-stand. The Tornado went 14-27 last year and split the season series with TU.
The Pioneers travel to UVa-Wise for a three-game SAC series against the Cavaliers. Last year as members of the Mountain East Conference, the Cavs tied for third place in the South Division and posted a 26-27 overall record including 19-13 in league play. The two teams have not faced off on the diamond since 2016.
TU ventures to Young Harris for a rematch on Mar. 3 before traveling to Coker for a three-game set, Mar. 6-7. The Cobras tied for eighth place in the SAC last year and went 16-28-1 overall. Tusculum took two of three games last year against Coker.
The Pioneers have a rematch with Embry-Riddle as TU hosts the Eagles for a two-game, mid-week series at Pioneer Park, Mar. 10-11 to kick off an eight-game home-stand.
Wingate visits Greeneville Mar. 13-14 for a three-game SAC series. The Bulldogs went 33-20 last year, finished fifth in the conference standings, but caught fire in the league postseason and finished third at the SAC Tournament going 3-2. Tusculum won last year's series 2-1 at Wingate, but the Bulldogs were able to secure an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The Pioneers host Anderson Mar. 20-21 at Pioneer Park. The Trojans went 20-31 and tied for seventh place in the league. TU won the weekend series a year ago, 2-1 at Anderson.
Tusculum travels to Lee University to begin a season-long, nine-game road swing. The Flames went 15-15 last season, finished 10th in the Gulf South Conference and swept the two-game season series over the Pioneers.
TU goes to Newberry to face the defending SAC Champions, Mar. 27-28. The Wolves enjoyed their best season ever going 41-16, finished runner-up in the SAC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Newberry defeated Tusculum in the SAC postseason in last year's lone meeting.
The Pioneers will be at Lander on April 1 in the first of two encounters this year with the Bearcats. Lander went 18-32 last year and finished ninth in the Peach Belt. Tusculum posted a 6-5 win over the Bearcats last February in TU's last trip to Greenwood, South Carolina.
Tusculum ventures to Lenoir-Rhyne on Apr. 3-4 for a SAC weekend series. The Bears went 23-27 and tied for eighth in the final conference standings. TU swept the three-game series last year in Greeneville.
The Pioneers close out the road trip on Apr. 8 at King before returning home for five straight beginning with a three-game series against Mars Hill (Apr. 10-11). The Lions finished ninth in the SAC and posted a 19-26 overall record which included a 1-2 slate against TU in last year's series.
Tusculum will host rematches against Lee (Apr. 14) and Lander (Apr. 15) before closing out the regular season at Lincoln Memorial (Apr. 17-18). LMU finished second in the SAC standings and ended the year with a 34-19 record which included a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Tusculum dropped two of three to the Railsplitters last season.
For a fifth consecutive season, the Pilot/Flying J South Atlantic Conference Baseball Tournament will be conducted at Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tennessee, Apr. 23-27, with the top eight teams in the final SAC standings earning bids to the league championship. The first day of the tournament pits the No. 5 seed against the No. 8 seed as well as the No. 6 seed against the No. 7 seed in single-elimination games to decide who advances to the double-elimination portion, which is the format for the remainder of the SAC Tournament.
The NCAA Tournament will begin May 14-16 with regional play being held throughout the country. The NCAA Super Regionals will be played May 22-23 at campus sites. The NCAA II College World Series will be held in Cary, North Carolina from May 30 through June 6 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.
