The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has unveiled an exciting schedule for the 2025 baseball season. With a mix of home and away games, the Vaqueros are set to embark on an action-packed journey.

UTRGV Baseball's 2025 Season - A Battle on the Diamond

Al Ogletree Classic and Opening Games

The baseball team will kick off the 2025 season from February 14th to 16th with the Al Ogletree Classic. This three-game series against Southern Illinois at UTRGV Baseball Stadium is set to be a thrilling start. The Vaqueros are scheduled to play 51 games in total, with 25 of them taking place at home. This provides a great opportunity for the local fans to cheer on their team.The first 10 games of the season are mostly at home, including a three-game series from February 21st to 23rd against North Dakota State and from February 28th to March 2nd against Lamar for the Southland Conference opener. This gives the team a chance to establish themselves early on.

Opponents and Challenging Matchups

UTRGV will face five opponents that participated in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, with a total of eight games on the schedule. These include Nicholls at home (March 14th - 16th), Dallas Baptist (February 18th), Southern Mississippi (March 11th), Louisiana (April 8th), and Texas (April 15th) on the road. These matchups will test the team's skills and determination.Coach Derek Matlock is excited about the midweeks and the tough non-conference schedule. He mentioned that it is difficult to put together a schedule with games against teams like Texas Tech, TCU, Texas, Texas State, Dallas Baptist, Houston, Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, Rice, and Baylor. It will be one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country.

Road Trips and Homestands

UTRGV embarks on its first multi-game road trip from March 4th to 11th, visiting Houston on March 4th followed by New Orleans from March 7th to 9th and Southern Mississippi on March 11th. This will give the team a chance to experience different cities and play against tough opponents.The Vaqueros' longest homestand runs from March 14th to 23rd, when they host Nicholls (March 14th - 16th), Texas Southern (March 18th - 19th), and Houston Christian (March 21st - 23rd). This stretch will provide a great opportunity for the fans to come out and support the team.After the longest homestand, the team goes on their longest road stretch from March 25th to April 19th, visiting TCU (March 25th and 26th), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as part of the South Texas Showdown (March 28th - 30th), Rice on April 2nd, Northwestern State (April 4th - 6th), and Louisiana on April 8th.

Home and Away Games

The Vaqueros return home to face Stephen F. Austin from April 11th to 13th before visiting Texas on April 15th and Southeastern from April 17th to 19th. This will be a great test for the team as they face different opponents in different locations.UTRGV hosts Incarnate Word for a non-conference contest on April 22nd before welcoming McNeese to the Valley from April 25th to 27th. These games will add to the excitement of the season.The team then embarks on their final regular season road trip, visiting Texas Tech from April 29th to 30th, Incarnate Word for a conference series from May 2nd to 4th, and Baylor on May 6th.UTRGV closes out the regular season at home on May 13th against Texas State. This will be a great way to end the regular season on a high note.

Conference Tournament and Qualification

The top eight teams in the Southland Conference qualify for the SLC Tournament. The top two seeds host 4-team brackets for a double-elimination tournament similar to the NCAA Regionals from May 15th to 18th. The bracket play champions will meet in a best of three series, similar to the NCAA Super Regionals, hosted by the highest remaining seed from May 22nd to 24th to determine the tournament champion and automatic qualifier to the NCAA Regionals.Coach Matlock believes that it is not just about who you play but how you play. If the team plays well in the Southland Conference, they have a chance to win. They control what they can control, and that's what baseball is all about.All Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday home games start at 6:30 p.m. All Sunday home games start at 12 p.m. Gates open one hour prior to the first pitch.Support UTRGV Baseball | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTubePrint Friendly Version