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Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) 20th-year head baseball coach Jeff Kinne has announced his program’s upcoming 2023 schedule. It includes 17 home games among 38 regular season contests, and features 22 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) games with 11 at home and 11 on the road. 

The Tigers will open the campaign on the road at William Peace (NC) on February 15 at 3 p.m., and following four season-opening games away, the Garnet & Grey will play a three-game series at home against Franklin & Marshall (PA) on Feb. 25-26 to include a doubleheader on Feb. 25 at 12 p.m. and a single game on Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m. on Yank Bernier Field at the Ty Cobb Ballpark – Wurdeman Stadium.

“This team worked hard during the fall and everyone is excited about the schedule,” said Coach Kinne. “We look forward to the challenge ahead and competing for an ODAC Championship.”

Breaking down the schedule

The majority of the non-conference schedule will take place prior to any ODAC games, and includes home-and-home games against William Peace (A-Feb. 15, 3 p.m./H-March 1, 3 p.m.), Mary Baldwin (A-Feb. 18, 12 p.m./A-March 23, 2 p.m./H-April 4, 3:30 p.m.) and Christopher Newport (A-Feb. 21, 2 p.m./H-March 14, 3:30 p.m.). H-SC will also participate in the Huntingdon Spring Break Tournament hosted by Huntingdon (AL) on March 3-5 in Montgomery, Alabama, playing three single games against Millsaps (MS) on March 3 at 4 p.m., Huntingdon on March 4 at 1:30 p.m. and Middlebury (VT) on March 5 at 11 a.m.

Additional non-conference games include a neutral-site game against Washington (MD) on Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. in Staunton, along with road games at Greensboro (NC) on March 7 at 2 p.m. and at North Carolina Wesleyan on March 8 at 3:30 p.m.

H-SC will play four ODAC doubleheaders at home, including Ferrum on March 19 at 12 p.m., Guilford (NC) on April 1 at 12 p.m., Eastern Mennonite on April 8 at 12 p.m. and Averett on April 22 at 12 p.m. The Tigers will play three single home games against conference members, including Randolph-Macon on March 22 at 3:30 p.m., Virginia Wesleyan on April 5 at 3:30 p.m. and Lynchburg on April 25 at 3:30 p.m.

H-SC also has four ODAC twinbills on the road, including at Shenandoah on March 11 at 12 p.m., at Roanoke on March 25 at 12 p.m., at Washington and Lee on April 15 at 12 p.m. and at Bridgewater on April 30 at 12 p.m. The Tigers will play three single road games at league members, as well, including at Lynchburg on March 28 at 3 p.m., at Randolph-Macon on April 11 at 3:30 p.m. and at Virginia Wesleyan on April 19 at 3:30 p.m.

The 2023 ODAC Tournament is scheduled to begin on May 5-7 with the best of three Quarterfinals at higher seeded sites … before the double elimination Final Four championship event on May 12-14 at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs, North Carolina.

A look at the roster

H-SC returns 28 lettermen, including six position starters, as well as 10 pitchers among the lettermen-five of them with starting experience on the mound. Among the returning position starters are senior shortstop and team captain Ryan Boyce (Suffolk) (.264, 1 HR, 7 2Bs, 18 RBIs), senior catcher and team captain Jay Beavers (Alexandria) (.236, 1 HR, 4 2Bs, 10 RBIs) and sophomore catcher Johnny Oates II (Chester) (.336, 3 HRs, 8 2Bs, 22 RBIs). Among the returning pitchers are senior right-hander Justin Woodall (Mechanicsville) (1-4, 4.07 ERA, 43K) and senior right-hander Owen Tappy (Charlotte, NC) (5-5, 4.18 ERA, 53K). The Tigers have added 22 freshmen newcomers to the program for the upcoming campaign.

Coach Kinne is once-again assisted by Robbie Bailey ‘10 (11th-year), Billy Catron (15th-year) and Jonathan Triesler ‘20 (third-year).