Xavier Baseball Announces 2026 Schedule

CINCINNATI - Xavier baseball announced the schedule for the 2026 season, with the Musketeers' season set to get underway on Friday, Feb. 13, at East Carolina in Greenville, N.C.

The Musketeers face teams from nine conferences outside of BIG EAST play, as well as Oregon State, which will compete as an independent in baseball this season.

Among the 23 programs Xavier is scheduled to face this season, 10 played in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, with three teams taking part in the College World Series.

The Musketeers look to make their 10th appearance in the four-team BIG EAST Tournament since joining the conference, with the 2025 championship set to run May 20-23, 2026, at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.

2026 OPPONENTS

* - BIG EAST opponent

East Carolina (3 Games)
Feb. 13-15 – Greenville, N.C.

ECU went 35-27 last season, winning the 2025 AAC Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the program's seventh-straight trip to an NCAA Regional.
The Pirates opened up the NCAA Conway Regional with a 11-6 win over No. 17 Florida. After falling to hosts Costal Carolina in the winner's bracket, East Carolina eliminated the Gators with a 11-4 win to advance to the Regional Finals where ECU fell to the Chanticleers, 1-0.
This is the first match-up between the two programs.

Louisville (1 Game)
Feb. 17 – Louisville, Ky.

The Cardinals went 42-24 in 2025, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. UofL advanced out of the Nashville Regional with wins over ETSU, Vanderbilt and Wright State, then took two of three against Miami in the Louisville Super Regional to advance to the College World Series.
After falling to Oregon State in the opening game of CWS, the Cardinals picked up wins over Arizona and Oregon State before being eliminated by Coastal Carolina.
Xavier took a 9-1 win in the last match-up in 2024 at Louisville, with the 2025 contest canceled due to weather. The Musketeers are 19-39 all-time against the Cardinals.

Arkansas (3 Games)
Feb. 20-22 – Fayetteville, Ark.

Arkansas went 50-15 last season, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. In the Fayetteville Regional, the Razorbacks picked up a win over North Dakota State and a pair of wins over Creighton to advance to the Fayetteville Super Regional, taking two wins over Tennessee to move on to the College World Series.
After falling to LSU in the opening game of the CWS, Arkansas took wins over Murray State and UCLA before being eliminated by LSU.
This is the first match-up between the two programs.

Indiana (1 Game)
Feb. 24 – Cincinnati, Ohio - Hayden Field

The Hoosiers went 32-24 last season, wrapping up the year in pool play in the Big 10 Tournament.
Xavier faced IU twice last season, taking an 8-6 win in 10 innings at the Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic in Arizona, and an 8-4 win in Bloomington.
The Musketeers are now 8-22 all-time against the Hoosiers.

Cal State Fullerton (3 Games)
Feb. 27 – March 1 – Fullerton, Calif.

The Titans went 29-27 last season, with a 19-11 record in Big West play.
Fullerton fell to Cal Poly and Hawaii in the Big West Championship to wrap up the season.
This is the first meeting between the two programs

Ohio State (2 Games)
March 3 – Columbus, Ohio
March 18 – Cincinnati, Ohio - Hayden Field

OSU went 13-37 overall and 5-25 in Big 10 play last season.
The Musketeers are 10-16 all-time against the Buckeyes. The last meeting happened in 2023, with Xavier taking an 8-1 win in Columbus.

Oregon State (4 Games)
March 6-9 – Corvallis, Ore.

Oregon State went 48-16-1 last season, playing as an independent.
The Beavers earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, winning four-straight after falling in the opening game to advance out of the Corvallis Regional. The Beavers hosted Florida State in the Corvallis Super Regional, taking 2-of-3 to move on to the College World Series.
At the CWS, Oregon State opened up play with a win over Louisville before being eliminated with losses to Coastal Carolina and UofL.
Xavier is 0-5 against Oregon State all time, facing the Beavers twice last season in the Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic.

Oregon (2 Games)
March 10-11 – Eugene, Ore.

Oregon went 42-16 last season, with a 22-9 record in Big 10 play, falling in pool play of the Big 10 Tournament.
The Ducks earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, hosting a regional. Oregon was eliminated with losses to Utah Valley and Cal Poly.
Xavier is 0-7 against Oregon all-time, last facing the Ducks in the 2023 NCAA Nashville Regional Final, one of six match-ups between Xavier and Oregon that season.

Evansville (3 Games)
March 13-15 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Hayden Field

The Purple Aces went 17-37 overall and 10-17 in MVC play last season.
Xavier is 17-30 all-time against the Evansville, last facing the Aces in a four-game series in 2021.

Wofford (3 Games)
March 20-22 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Hayden Field

Wofford went 33-27 last season, with an 8-13 record in SoCon play.
The Terriers opened up the SoCon Tournament with wins over UNC Greensboro and The Citadel before being eliminated with losses to Samford and Mercer.
Xavier is 5-6 all-time against Wofford, last facing the Terriers in a three-game series in 2023, with the Musketeers taking the sweep in Spartanburg, S.C.

Cincinnati (2 Games)
March 24 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Hayden Field (Joe Nuxhall Classic)
April 14 – Cincinnati, Ohio – UC Baseball Stadium

Cincinnati went 33-26 last season with a 16-14 record in Big 12 play.
The Bearcats earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship, opening up play in the Nashville Regional with a win over Wake Forest, before being eliminated with losses to host Tennessee and Demon Deacons.
The March 24 match-up at Hayden Field is the open round of the Joe Nuxhall Classic, with the winner playing on April 7 and the loser playing on April 8 at Prasco Park.
Xavier is 55-73 all-time against Cincinnati all-time after taking two wins over the Bearcats last season.

Connecticut * (3 Games)
March 27-29 – Storrs, Conn.

Connecticut went 38-21 overall and 17-4 in BIG EAST play, earning the No. 2 seed to the four-team BIG EAST Tournament.
The Huskies fell to Xavier in the opening game of the BIG EAST Tournament, then took wins over St. John's and the Musketeers to advance to the Championship series, falling to Creighton.
Xavier is 12-15 all-time against UConn after going 3-2 against the Huskies last season. The Musketeers took 2-of-3 in the regular season series, then went 1-1 against the Huskies in the BIG EAST Tournament.

Ball State (1 Game)
March 31 – Muncie, Ind.

Ball State went 36-22 overall and 21-9 in MAC play last season.
The Cardinals took a win over Eastern Michigan to open the MAC Tournament before falling to Kent State and Toledo to conclude the season.
Xavier is 8-10 all-time against Ball State after sweeping a three-game series last season in Cincinnati.

Georgetown * (3 Games)
April 2-4 – Washington, D.C.

The Hoyas went 16-40 overall and 3-18 in BIG EAST play last season, finishing eighth in the league standings.
Xavier is 25-12 all-time against Georgetown after sweeping the three-game series last season in Cincinnati.

Joe Nuxhall Classic (1 Game)
April 7 or 8 – Mason, Ohio – Prasco Park

The four-team Joe Nuxhall Classic features Cincinnati, Wright State and Miami (Ohio), with the first round being held at campus sites in March, and the Championship and Third Place games taking place at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.
Xavier will face either Wright State or Miami (Ohio), dependent upon the results of the first-round games, with the Musketeers taking on Cincinnati on March 24, and Wright State and Miami playing in the first round.
The winners of the first-round games will play on April 7 at Prasco Park. The third-place game will be April 8 at Prasco Park.
Xavier took a 6-4 win over Miami before falling to Wright State, 10-8, in the Championship game last seson.

Villanova * (3 Games)
April 10-12 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Hayden Field

Villanova went 22-28 overall, with a 6-15 record in BIG EAST play, finishing sixth in the BIG EAST standings.
Xavier is 22-11 all-time against Villanova after sweeping the three-game series last season in Villanova, Pa.

Seton Hall * (3 Games)
April 17-19 – South Orange, N.J.

Seton Hall went 24-30 overall last season, with a 10-11 record in BIG EAST play to finish fifth in the league standings.
The Musketeers and Pirates are even at 19-19 in the all-time series after Xavier took 2-of-3 in Cincinnati last season.

Vanderbilt (1 Game)
April 21 – Nashville, Tenn.

The Commodores went 43-18 last season, with a 19-11 record in SEC play. Vandy went 3-0 with wins over Oklahoma, Tennessee and Ole Miss to win the SEC Tournament and earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
After opening up play with a win over Wright State in the Nashville Regional, losses to Louisville and the Raiders ended the season for the Commodores.
Xavier is 4-11 all-time against Vanderbilt, last taking on the Dores in a three-game series in Nashville last season.

St. John's * (3 Games)
April 24-26 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Hayden Field

St. John's went 29-24 overall and finished 13-8 in the BIG EAST, earning the No. 4 seed at the 2025 BIG EAST Tournament, falling to Creighton and UConn to wrap up the postseason.
Xavier is 18-22 all-time against St. John's, last facing the Red Storm in a three-game series in Queens in 2025.

Miami (Ohio) (1 Game)
April 28 – Oxford, Ohio

Miami went 35-23 last season, with a 23-7 record in MAC play. The RedHawks went 3-0 in the MAC Tournament to win the league's championship and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Miami took part in the Knoxville Regional, falling to host Tennessee and Wake Forest in NCAA action.
The Musketeers could also potentially face the RedHawks in the second round of the Joe Nuxhall Classic on April 7 or 8.
Xavier is 34-47-1 all-time against Miami after going 1-1 in the season series in 2025.

Georgia Tech (3 Games)
May 1-3 – Atlanta, Ga.

The Yellow Jackets went 41-19 overall last season with a 19-11 record in ACC play, advancing to the conference tournament semifinals.
Georgia Tech earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, opening play in the Oxford Regional with a win over Western Kentucky before falling to Murray State and Ole Miss to wrap up the season.
Xavier is 1-6 all-time against Georgia Tech, with the two programs last meeting in 2010.

Michigan (1 Game)
May 5 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Hayden Field

Michigan went 33-23 overall and 16-14 in Big 10 play last season. The Wolverines' season came to an end in pool play of the Big 10 Tournament.
Xavier is 5-4 all-time against Michigan, with the two teams splitting a home-and-home in 2023.

Butler * (3 Games)
May 8-10 – Indianapolis, Ind.

Butler went 15-39 overall and 4-17 in BIG EAST play, finishing seventh in the league standings.
Xavier is 74-34 all-time against Butler after sweeping the three-game series in Cincinnati last season. The Musketeers are currently on a 13-game win streak against the Bulldogs.

Creighton * (3 Games)
May 14-16 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Hayden Field

Creighton went 43-16 in 2025, posting a 17-4 record in BIG EAST play and earning the No. 1 seed at the 2025 BIG EAST Tournament. The Bluejays went 3-0 at the tournament, taking wins over St. John's, Xavier and UConn to win the league title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
CU opened up play at the Fayetteville Regional with a win over Kansas before falling to hosts Arkansas. After taking a win over North Dakota State to advance to the Regional Final, the Bluejays were eliminated by the Razorbacks.
Xavier and Creighton are even at 22-22 in the all-time series after the Bluejays took a 2-1 win in the season series and a win in the BIG EAST Tournament last season.

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