Leatherneck Baseball Announces 2015 Schedule

Western is scheduled for 51 games with 21 of those at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium

MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois baseball head coach Ryan Brownlee announced the 2015 spring schedule for Leatherneck baseball on Monday (Dec. 8). The Purple and Gold will play 51 games this spring with 21 games taking place at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium.

"I am extremely excited about our schedule this spring. As with the last two years we are are playing a challenging non-conference schedule to get us ready for Summit League play," said Brownlee. "Last year showed what a tough non-conference schedule can do for us in the league when we barely missed out on the conference and tournament championships."

Western opens its season in Nashville, Tenn. at the Mule Mix Classic. The Leathernecks will face off against three first-time opponents in: Lipscomb, Belmont, and Middle Tennessee State during the three-day tournament from February 20-22.

The following weekend the Purple and Gold travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma for a three-game set against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In 2014 the Cowboys advanced all the way to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Regionals after earning an at-large bid and winning their region.

"At one point last year our non-conference strength of schedule was ranked seventh in the country," said Brownlee. "I look for that to be the same this year. We are also playing some opponents that we haven't played yet, which is always fun. I like for our players to experience new opponents and new places. I feel like that is part of the college baseball experience is to play a challenging schedule and get to travel to places you haven't been to yet. I think that adds to the journey of every season."

The Fighting Leathernecks head to Indiana to take on the Purple Aces of Evansville for the second consecutive year, before returning to Macomb to open home conference play against Fort Wayne on Friday, March 13. A major change from past years is the Summit League going away from four-game series weekends to a three-game weekend series and playing the other five teams in the league in a home-and-home format.

The three-game series against the Mastodons kicks off a run of eight games in 10 days as Western then travels to Wichita, Kansas on March 17 for a two-game tilt against the Shockers of Wichita State. WIU finally returns home on March 20 for a three-game conference slate against South Dakota State.

March 20-April 1 marks the Leathernecks' longest homestand of the season, with eight consecutive games set to be played at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium. Besides South Dakota State, Western will also play Illinois-Springfield in Macomb before hosting a rematch of the 2014 Summit League Tournament Championship game against North Dakota State, April 24-26.

On April 1, the Purple and Gold cap off their homestand as they play host to Big 10 Conference foe Iowa, a team they beat in Iowa City last season. The game against the Hawkeyes also marks the first of 19 games slated for the Fighting Leathernecks in the month of April.

April 3 marks the beginning of Western's road league schedule as it takes on the Mavericks of Omaha in a three-game series before heading to Edwardsville, Illinois for a midweek tilt against the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars on April 7.

The Leathernecks return home on April 10 for a three-game set against Oral Roberts and a Tuesday doubleheader against Milwaukee on April 14 to close out the first half of the season.

A trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana on April 17 for a three-game series against the Mastadons kicks off the second half of the season for Western.

After leaving the Hoosier state, the Leathernecks head to Peoria for a single-game tilt against Bradley on April 22, and then journey up to Fargo, North Dakota for another three games against the Bison of North Dakota State.

Back-to-back midweek home games against Saint Ambrose and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on April 28-29 close out the month of April.

In May, the Purple and Gold open the month with a trip to Brookings, South Dakota for three games from May 1-3 before a stop in Iowa City, Iowa for a midweek tilt against the Hawkeyes on May 6.

A three-game series against Omaha at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium May 8-10 closes out the Leathernecks home portion of the schedule, before traveling to Tulsa to close out the regular season in a three-game set versus ORU on May 14-16.

The 2015 Summit League Tournament will be hosted in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and takes place beginning May 21.

Full Schedule Available HERE

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