The wait is finally over.
After considerable patience from the players, coaches and fans, the 2021 Belmont baseball schedule was released on Thursday.
The schedule includes the expected Ohio Valley Conference series contests, as well as non-conference play with schools from the Southeastern, Sun Belt, Atlantic Sun, Big South, Missouri Valley, Horizon League and Big East conferences.
Belmont will open the season with a four-game series against 2019 NCAA Tournament competitors Illinois State University on Feb. 19 to 21 at E.S. Rose Park.
After a short trip to the University of North Alabama on Feb. 27, Belmont will face off in a doubleheader against powerhouse Creighton University — who also played in the 2019 NCAA Tournament — at home for the Turface Classic.
Less than a week later, Belmont will hit the road for Oxford, Mississippi to battle it out with the Southeastern Conferences’ University of Mississippi, a team ranked No. 4 in the country by Baseball America, in a three-game series.
And after the first of three matchups versus Lipscomb University on March 10, in what is known as “the Battle of the Boulevard,” Belmont will play its first conference series against UT Martin on March 12 to 13.
Following a three-day break, Belmont will travel down the road to play defending NCAA National Champions, Vanderbilt University on March 16.
Then the schedule begins to shift focus back to OVC play as the team hosts Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, March 19 to 20.
Belmont will play only in conference matchups at the start of April as it battles Tennessee Tech, Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois.
A rematch with Lipscomb at E.S. Rose Park will take place on April 6, and three days later, the Bruins will take on Jacksonville State University, the defending OVC champions, in series play.
Starting on April 13, Belmont will remain at home until May 1, welcoming opponents North Alabama, Murray State, Tennessee Tech and SEMO during that period.
After an away game against the Murray State Racers, the Bruins are back home to host the Sunbelt Conferences’ Georgia State University on May 7 to 9.
The Bruins season begins to wrap up with a series at Eastern Kentucky University in mid-May, and a highly desired away game versus the SEC’s University of Tennessee.
Belmont closes regular season play at home against heated rival Morehead State on May 20 to 21.
With the schedule out, it is now simply a matter of time until the Bruins take the field on opening day.
—
This article written by A.J. Wuest.