NORFOLK, VA-- The ODU Monarchs who advanced to the NCAA Regionals last year, announced the 2015 ODU baseball schedule which will feature 32 homes games, including a game at Harbor Park against NCAA national runner-up Virginia and a contest at War Memorial Stadium in the annual "Key Dog Classic" against VCU.
“We are fired up about the 2015 schedule,” said head coach Chris Finwood, the 2014 ABCA East Regional Coach of the Year. “The schedule appears to be just as challenging as last year’s which was one of the toughest in the country according to the NCAA. Being a member of C-USA and playing a very challenging schedule allowed us to get an at large bid to the NCAA tournament last year. We are recruiting the type of kid that embraces these challenges and playing strong competition on a daily basis readies our boys for the rigors of a very tough conference slate. We look forward to the challenge that 2015 will bring.”
ODU will play home-and-home non-conference games against Virginia, VCU, VMI, and Liberty. In addition, the Monarchs will play Seton Hall, Feb. 20-22, Rutgers, Feb. 27-Mar.1, and Pennsylvania, Mar. 6-8 in three-game non-conference home series. ODU will play Richmond in a single home game on April 22.
Virginia will return to for the second year to play the Monarchs at Harbor Park on April 28 home of the Norfolk Tides, the AAA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The annual “Key Dog Classic,” to honor the late VCU coach and ODU Baseball alumni Paul Keyes who lost his courageous battle with cancer in 2012 will again be held at Hampton’s War Memorial Stadium on May 12 against VCU.
The Monarchs open the regular season, Feb. 13-15, in the Coastal Carolina Invitational in Myrtle Beach, SC. ODU will play Maryland, who the Monarchs played in the NCAA regional last year, Canisius and host
Coastal Carolina.
The first Conference-USA home series at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex will be March 20-22 against defending champion Rice, while the league opening series is March 13-15 in Bowling Green, KY., against newcomer Western Kentucky where Finwood served as head coach from 2006-11.
The Monarchs will also host C-USA series against Charlotte, April 3-5, Marshall, April 17-19, FIU, May 1-3 and Louisiana Tech, May 8-10. Besides Western Kentucky, ODU will play road C-USA series at Middle Tennessee March 27-29, UTSA, April 10-12, FAU, April 24-26 and UAB May 14-16.
Four opponents including Virginia, Rice, Liberty and Maryland, competed in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
The Monarchs compiled a 36-26 record last year and advanced to the C-USA semifinal round before earning an at-large bid to the NCAA regional return the following key players in Nick Walker (So. OF/INF), P.J. Higgins (, Jr, INF), Taylor Ostrich (Sr. 1b/OF), Conner Myers (Jr. OF), Josh Eldridge (Sr. OF), Mike Perez (Sr./C), Victor Diaz (Sr/RHP), Sam Sinnen (So, RHP) and Turner Bishop (So. LHP).
Season ticket voucher books are available for purchase for $50, at Ynottix.com. Fans will receive an official ODU baseball hat with the purchase of the 32 game vouchers, which can be combined to bring 32 fans for one game or attend each of the 32 games (including the Virginia game at Harbor Park).