At Monday’s Orange and Blue series game, I overheard someone mention that the Illinois baseball 2022 schedule had not been announced yet.
Well, it’s out now.
Friday, Illinois baseball released the new schedule for the 2022 season. You can view it at the FightingIllini.com website. There are a few things worth noting.
One, for the first time in since 2019, Illinois will be playing non-conference teams! Yes, the good guys will be taking regulars such as Bradley, Eastern Illinois and Illinois State. In addition, Illinois will be participating in several pre-conference season tournaments including Coastal Tournament and the Cambria Classic.
Two, I noticed something interesting. During the Coastal Tournament, Illinois will be playing in two US states on the same weekend. After playing in Conway, SC on February 25-26, the team will play the third game on the 27th in Wilmington, NC. I’m not sure if I have ever noticed that phenomena since I’ve covered the Illinois baseball team.
Illinois baseball schedule by the numbers
- 51 games
- 20 games at Illinois Field
- Season opener: February 18
- Home opener: March 8
- Big Ten home opener: April 1
You can see the full 2022 Illinois baseball schedule here. Of course, all scheduled dates are subject to change.
Fall Season continues
Speaking of Eastern Illinois, if you don’t have plans tomorrow (Sunday, October 3), Illinois will be hosting an exhibition game against Panthers. It will be an extended inning game that starts at noon. I’m hoping the rain holds off till the game is over. We’ve had good luck with the weather so far this fall season.
A bit of trivia about EIU. Illinois has a big connection with EIU’s head coach Jason Anderson. Not only is Jason a former Illini pitcher from the years 1998-2000 but he was drafted by the New York Yankees. He pitched three years in the majors. He eventually returned to Illinois Field in 2011-2012 as an Assistant Coach for Illinois.
Keep an eye for Jason who has coached the Panthers since 2016.
See you at the ballpark!