Following a program-best 45- win regular season, a Big West title and the program’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years, the UCSB baseball team is excited to set forth on a new 2020 campaign which will feature the first time in program history that the team will be playing under the lights at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
UCSB’s schedule includes a total of 32 home games, 23 of which will be played at night as head coach Andrew Checketts announced the upcoming schedule on Thursday afternoon.
Most of the night games will commence at 5:30 p.m., including the Gauchos home opener against Cal on February 17.
The game against Cal, which is a part of a home-and-home, will be played after a three-game road series against Sac State which begins on Feb. 14. Sac State eliminated UCSB from the NCAA regionals last season.
From there, UCSB will host seven of its next eight games, including a series against Abilene Christian, the team’s first home series of the season which begins on Feb. 21, Illinois-Chicago which begins on Feb. 28 and a midweek game against UCLA on March 3.
Other home non-conference series include UNLV, Fordham and Loyola Marymount while the Gauchos will travel to face Oregon State.
Midweek matchups include games against aforementioned Cal and UCLA and also CSU Bakersfield, Saint Mary’s and Pepperdine.
Seven of UCSB’s opponents in 2020 were NCAA Tournament teams in 2019 (Illinois-Chicago, Fordham, LMU, UCLA, Cal, Sacramento State, Oregon State).
UCSB’s conference slate begins against Hawai’i at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium on March 27.
In Big West play, the Gauchos will host series against CSUN, UCR, and CSUF and will travel to UC Davis, Cal Poly, Long Beach State and UC Irvine.
The Blue-Green rivalry series is slated for April 17-19 at Cal Poly and the Gauchos will round out the regular season on the road at UC Irvine (May 21-23).
UCSB’s annual alumni game will kick off the year as the Gauchos of years’ past will get to experience their old home stadium under the lights as well with the game starting at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 24.
email: jmercado@newspress.com
