The Little Rock baseball team looks forward to the new season as Head Coach Chris Curry has announced the 2019 baseball schedule. 

The Trojans look to build upon a season in which they recorded the most wins in a season since 2013 with 28. The competition will be tough as Little Rock will face five teams from Power-5 conferences as well as eight teams that appeared in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The 56-game schedule will feature 28 games at Gary Hogan Field, 26 road games and one game played at neutral site Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this 2019 slate,” Curry said. “It might be the best schedule we’ve ever had with eight regional teams that made the postseason and five Power-5 teams. We have a lot of home games and we’re really excited. I think this team is poised for this level of competition being that they are an older and experienced team.”

Little Rock will open the 2019 season on Feb. 15 at Gary Hogan Field where they will host Creighton for the first game of a three-game series.

The Trojans will then travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to meet Big-12 opponent and NCAA Regional participant Oklahoma State for a two-game set starting on Feb. 19. After taking on the Cowboys, Little Rock will return home for a three-game series with Evansville starting on Feb. 22 and the first leg of a home-and-home series with Louisiana Tech on Feb. 26.

Little Rock will continue their nonconference schedule when they head back on the road to take on another NCAA Regional team in Northwestern State. This three-game set in Natchitoches, Louisiana. will begin on March 1. The road trip will conclude on March 5 with trip to Oxford, Mississippi, for a matchup with SEC opponent Ole Miss who also featured in NCAA Regional play.

South Dakota State will visit Little Rock for a three-game series starting on March 8 before the Trojans head up to Conway to take on in-state rival Central Arkansas for the first baseball competition in the I-40 Showdown.

Sun Belt play will begin for the Trojans when they host Louisiana for a three-game set starting on March 12 before a mid-week matchup with Mississippi State on March 19, another SEC team who reached the College World Series last season. The road trip continues with another conference series with Georgia Southern starting on March 22 before heading to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to take on Oral Roberts on March 26.

The Trojans will host Georgia State in a three-game set starting on March 29 before a historic game with national runner-ups Arkansas on April 2 at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. This is the first time the Trojans and Razorbacks have met in the teams’ history.

“It’s a team that should be able to handle this level of competition,” Curry continued. “These players, in the recruiting process, expressed that they want to measure themselves against the very best. And for us to reach the goals that we wish to attain here at Little Rock, which is a conference championship and getting into the postseason, we’ve got to play against the best competition we can schedule.”

Little Rock leaves for Arlington to continue their busy April schedule with a three-game series against UT-Arlington starting on April 5. The Trojans will then host UAPB for a midweek game on April 9.

Reigning Sun Belt Champions Coastal Carolina will visit Gary Hogan Field for another conference matchup starting on April 12 as the Trojans look to get revenge after last year’s series sweep near the end of the season.

Another mid-week game on April 16 against Central Arkansas, this time at home, will precede a trip to ULM for a three-game set with the Warhawks starting on April 18. Little Rock will finish the second leg of the home-and-home series with Louisiana Tech on April 23. To conclude the hectic April schedule, the Trojans will host NCAA Regional team Troy for a three-game series starting on April 26.

Little Rock will begin their May schedule with a trip to Mobile, Ala. to take on South Alabama on May 3 for the first game of a three-game set. The Trojans will then host Oral Roberts on May 7 for the home leg of the home-and-home series with the Golden Eagles.

Staying at Gary Hogan Field, Little Rock will host Texas State for a three-game series starting on May 10 before playing the third and final contest with Central Arkansas at Dickey-Stephens Park on May 14.

The Trojans will conclude their regular season schedule when they travel to Jonesboro, Ark. to take on rival Arkansas State for a three-game series with the Red Wolves starting on May 16.

Little Rock will aim for their fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference Tournament berth as the competition will take place from May 22-26.