STONY BROOK, N.Y. — A year after southern trips were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stony Brook baseball team returns to its annual tradition of facing some of the best baseball the southeast region has to offer.
Stony Brook added NCAA Super Regional participant South Florida, NCAA Regional top seed Old Dominion and Tournament participants Fairfield and McNeese State to its 2022 slate and will host 21 games at Joe Nathan Field, starting with a March 2 battle with Sacred Heart.
"Our players and coaches are excited that this year's early non-conference schedule allows us the opportunity to get back to playing outstanding programs throughout the country, as well as compete against tough midweek opponents within our region throughout the season," head coach Matt Senk said as he's set to begin his 32nd year at the helm of the program. "Of course, our conference schedule again proves to be highly competitive every weekend, which will undoubtedly prepare us for our conference tournament and hopefully culminate in our seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament."
The 2021 America East regular season champs will look to finish at the top of the league again with a new format, as 3-game series are introduced for the first time. Instead of doubleheader Saturday's, the teams are scheduled to play one game Friday, Saturday and Sunday to match up with much of the country's conference setup.
Six in a row on the road start the campaign, with dates at McNeese State (February 18-20) and South Florida (February 25-27). After Opening Day with Sacred Heart, the Seawolves hit the road for seven more, with series at Western Carolina (March 4-6) and Old Dominion (March 11-13) sandwiching a road midweek at Fordham (March 9).
UMass Lowell opens the 30-game league slate with a three-game series on Long Island (March 18-20). The next two America East series are away from Joe Nathan Field, as Stony Brook travels to Maine (March 25-27) and Hartford (April 1-3). The midweek contests in the month of march feature a home and home with Iona on March 16 and 30, with the former being on Long Island. March 23 is a home matchup with LIU.
Moving into April, the Seawolves host back to back SUNY series, bringing with UAlbany (April 8-10) and Binghamton (April 15-17) before back-to-back road series at UMBC (April 22-24) and NJIT (April 29-May 1). Stony Brook plays all four Wednesdays during the month, heading to Manhattan (April 6), LIU (April 13) and Fairfield (April 27) with its only home midweek coming against the Jaspers (April 20).
The final month of the regular season starts with the first matchup versus Hofstra (May 4) since the 2010 campaign. A road trip containing Sacred Heart (May 11) and Binghamton (May 13-15) finish off the Seawolves regular-season travels as they end the year hosting NJIT (May 19-21).
Maine will be this year's host for the 2022 America East Championship, slated for the following week up in Orono.
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