View the entire 2013 schedule
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The San Francisco Dons baseball team will face seven NCAA Tournament teams in 2013, including NCAA Champion University of Arizona as announced by Head Coach
Nino Giarratano.
In addition to Arizona, USF will face six other teams that advanced to the postseason a year ago, including Oregon State, TCU, Stanford, Missouri, and WCC rivals University of San Diego and Pepperdine. Of the Dons 18 games against NCAA Tournament teams, 15 will be played on the road, with the only home series coming against Pepperdine from May 3-5.
“We are very fortunate to have this opportunity to play so many quality teams,” Giarratano said. “Our strength of schedule should put us in a position to help our RPI ranking if we play well enough!”
The average winning percentage of USF's 2013 opponents stands at a remarkable .555 (657-526).
The Dons open play at Benedetti Diamond on Feb. 15 against Cal Poly in a three-game series before welcoming San Francisco State for one game on Feb. 19.
USF then hits the road for 15 straight road games, including eight consecutive contests against 2012 NCAA Tournament teams.
The Dons longest road trip of the season begins against UC Santa Barbara in a three-game series at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. The Dons went 2-1 against UCSB last season, winning the first game of the series behind the No. 5 pick in the 2012 MLB Draft
Kyle Zimmer's second consecutive complete game shutout.
San Francisco will then face its biggest challenge of the 2013 campaign, traveling to Arizona for a three-game set from March 1-3. The Wildcats were crowned NCAA Champions last season, sweeping defending champion South Carolina in two games in Omaha, Nebraska. The showdown with the Wildcats will mark the first time USF has faced a current NTAA Champion since 2008, when the Dons split a four-game series against Fresno State.
“The opportunity to play last years National Champions will be a great test for our program,” Giarratano said. “We played in Tucson a few years ago and they were great. I would guess that we will need to play our best baseball in Tucson.”
The road trip then extends to Missouri, as the Dons play the Tigers for the second consecutive season. Last year, USF swept Missouri in a three-game series, holding the Tigers to only two runs across 27 innings.
From there, the Green and Gold travel north to face Oregon State in a brief two-game series from March 12-13. The Beavers, who went 40-20 last season, lost to LSU in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional.
USF then begins West Coast Conference play on March 15 in a three-game set against rival Gonzaga. The Dons swept the Bulldogs last season and return to Patterson Baseball Complex for the first time since winning the 2011 WCC Title.
The Dons return home on March 19 for one game against Nevada, before hosting their first WCC series of the season against University of Portland. USF's WCC season opener is slated for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch on March 22.
After welcoming California for a single game on March 26, the Dons take to the road for 11-straight games, including three-game sets against BYU, TCU and Santa Clara. TCU went 40-22 last season and 23-9 at home, eventually losing to UCLA in the NCAA Super Regionals.
San Francisco returns home on April 19 to host Loyola Marymount for three games. The Lions went 27-27 last season, as USF won two of three games in Los Angeles in 2012 courtesy of senior left fielder Ted LeMaster's heroics.
Sacramento State comes to Benedetti Diamond for a midweek tilt on April 24 at 2:00 p.m. before the Dons embark on a four-game road trip featuring a weekend series against USD and one game against San Diego State. The Torreros are set to open their new baseball facility, Fowler Park and Cunningham Field, to start the 2013 season.
USF will then play seven of its eight remaining games at home, with the only road game after April 30 coming against Stanford on May 7. The Cardinal finished the season ranked No. 12 in the nation, coming within two games of a College World Series birth.
Regular season play will conclude with a three-game set againts BYU on the road from May 9-11.
Notes: Alumni Weekend activities will start on September 29, 2012 with the Blast from the Past game at 11:00 a.m. The Alumni Classic is set for a 9:00 a.m. start on Sept. 30, with festivities concluding after the Dons vs. Pros game at 11:00 a.m.
