Head coach Brian Schmack has announced the 2022 schedule for the Valparaiso University baseball program, which will open the season on Feb. 18 at Memphis.

Opening Day commences a three-game series with the Tigers, who have faced Valpo 11 times, most recently in 2009. A stretch of 16 straight road games to begin the season will continue with a three-game set at Alabama A&M (Feb. 25-27), the first ever collisions between the two teams.

Valpo will face another first-time opponent from March 4-6 at Omaha. The Mavericks won the 2019 Summit League title and made an NCAA Regional appearance before going 14-12 in league action last year. That set will be followed by three at SEMO from March 11-13, when Valpo will play a Redhawks team that won the Ohio Valley Conference title and reached the NCAA Regionals during a 30-win season in 2021. Valpo has faced SEMO eight times, most recently in 2010.

The Beacons will play their first midweek game of the year on March 15 at Notre Dame, their first of two trips to take on the Fighting Irish as they’ll make another visit on April 19. Last year, Valpo played a nationally-ranked Notre Dame team three times, and gave their instate foes a battle in each contest, falling 6-3, 8-7 and 7-4. Notre Dame enjoyed its best season in nearly 20 years, finished one game from the College World Series, won its first ever Atlantic Coast Conference division title and went 34-13. Valpo and Notre Dame have matched up 47 times on the diamond through the years.

Valpo visits Murray State for a three-game series (March 18-20), the final set before the team finally takes its home field. The Beacons and Racers have faced off four times previously including a 2012 season-opening series where Valpo took two of three. Murray State went 17-6 at home last year and posted an 18-12 OVC mark, the most conference wins in program history. Murray State’s 33-win season culminated in an OVC title game appearance.

The 73^rd Valpo vs. Milwaukee meeting will take place on March 23, the home opener for the Beacons. The Panthers, who are coming off their second straight Horizon League Tournament runner-up finish, will play host to the Beacons on April 5.

Valpo will welcome St. Bonaventure to Emory G. Bauer Field for a three-game series that commences on March 26. That will mark just the second meeting with the Bonnies after a 5-4 Valpo victory on March 2, 2013 in Port Charlotte, Fla. Valpo and Purdue Fort Wayne will match up for the first time since 2012 on March 29 in Porter County, then the Beacons will play UIC (April 1 road, April 2 home DH) for the first time since the two were Horizon League adversaries, most recently 2017. The Flames went 30-18 overall and 28-11 in Horizon League action a year ago.

Missouri Valley Conference play will commence on April 8, as Valpo opens up a home three-game series with Indiana State. The Sycamores were the MVC Tournament runners-up last year, earning an NCAA at-large bid and winning an NCAA Regional game to cap a 31-win season.

Valpo’s other home MVC series against an NCAA Regional team from a year ago will come May 6-8 as defending conference champion DBU comes to town. The Patriots posted a 41-18 mark and 18-6 Valley record en route to an NCAA Regional crown and Super Regional appearance. DBU won a game in the Supers to help create a strong finish to a commendable season.

Valpo’s other home MVC opponents will be Missouri State (April 22-24) and Bradley (May 13-15). Road series will be at Illinois State (April 15-17), Southern Illinois (April 29 – May 1) and Evansville (May 20-22). SIU is coming off a 40-win season, the seventh-highest win total nationally and the program’s highest since 1990. The Salukis were ranked as high as 22^nd nationally a year ago. Evansville is coming off its highest winning percentage since 2016.

Midweek opponents during league play include Eastern Illinois (road April 12), Purdue (road April 26) and Western Michigan (home May 3, road May 17). Valpo will face EIU for the first time since 1996, when the two clubs squared off in a three-game Mid-Continent Conference series. The Beacons and Boilermakers have met 88 times previously, while Valpo and Western Michigan will continue a series that has featured 48 installments. Valpo has won four straight head-to-head matchups with the Broncos.

Missouri State will host the 2022 MVC Tournament from May 24-28 at Hammons Field in Springfield. Last season, Valpo won two MVC Tournament games for the first time since joining the league and was one of the final four teams standing in the event along with a pair of NCAA Regional qualifiers in Indiana State and DBU plus a Southern Illinois team that enjoyed a 40-win season.