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After getting bounced early in regional play in each of the last two seasons, Mike Bianco and the Ole Miss baseball team need to break up the postseason mediocrity with a deep run in 2017. On Tuesday afternoon, we learned that the path won’t be easy—nearly half of the 56 games listed on the 2017 schedule will come against teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Perhaps the most intriguing series of the year comes in the opening weekend, when the Rebs welcome former hitting coach Cliff Godwin back to town. Now the head man at ECU, Godwin led the Pirates on an incredible 2016 tourney run that came up one extra-innings game short of Omaha. Other notable non-conference opponents include the Big 12 trio of Baylor, Texas Tech and TCU, which the Rebs will face during a three-day tournament in Minute Maid Park in Houston.
The SEC home series are pretty darn good, as well: Ole Miss hosts Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Alabama, Missouri and Texas A&M.
Here’s the full schedule
Home games are BOLD AND ALL-CAPS.
Feb. 17 EAST CAROLINA
Feb. 18 EAST CAROLINA
Feb. 19 EAST CAROLINA
Feb. 21 ARKANSAS STATE
Feb. 24 UNCW
Feb. 24 UNCW
Feb. 26 UNCW
Feb. 28 MEMPHIS
March 3 vs. Baylor
March 4 vs. Texas Tech
March 5 vs. TCU
March 7 GEORGIA STATE
March 8 GEORGIA STATE
March 10 FURMAN
March 11 FURMAN
March 12 FURMAN
March 14 vs. Nicholls
March 17 VANDERBILT
March 18 VANDERBILT
March 19 VANDERBILT
March 21 at Memphis
March 24 at Kentucky
March 25 at Kentucky
March 26 at Kentucky
March 29 LITTLE ROCK
March 31 MISSISSIPPI STATE
April 1 MISSISSIPPI STATE
April 2 MISSISSIPPI STATE
April 4 vs. Southern Miss
April 7 ALABAMA
April 8 ALABAMA
April 9 ALABAMA
April 11 at Southern Miss
April 13 at LSU
April 14 at LSU
April 15 at LSU
April 19 UAPB
April 21 MISSOURI
April 22 MISSOURI
April 23 MISSOURI
April 25 vs. Mississippi State in Pearl
April 28 at Arkansas
April 29 at Arkansas
April 30 at Arkansas
May 2 ULM
May 3 ULM
May 5 at Florida
May 6 at Florida
May 7 at Florida
May 12 TEXAS A&M
May 13 TEXAS A&M
May 14 TEXAS A&M
May 16 at Arkansas State
May 18 at Auburn
May 19 at Auburn
May 20 at Auburn
May 23-28 SEC Tournament
June 2-4 NCAA Regionals
June 9-11 NCAA Super Regionals
June 17-28 College World Series