CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte head baseball coach Ross Steedley is excited to announce the 2023 baseball schedule on Thursday afternoon. The inaugural Division I season features a 55-game slate, including 28 games in the Charlotte region. The Royals will square off with four teams who made the NCAA Tournament and two who made a Super Regional last season, including North Carolina, East Carolina, UNC Greensboro, and Kennesaw State.
 
"We are really excited about our first year of competition in Division 1 baseball," said Head Coach Ross Steedley. "We get to compete in one of the best NCAA D1 Conferences in the ASUN, and arguably the best geographical region in all of NCAA D1 baseball."
 
Queens will open the season with 16 straight non-conference games beginning at Appalachian State on Friday, Feb. 17. In the non-conference span, the Royals will face SEC powerhouse South Carolina on Feb. 22, crosstown rival Davidson on Feb. 28, and nationally ranked East Carolina on Mar. 7 in midweek contests. Queens will challenge Fairleigh Dickinson, Tennessee Tech, and UNC Greensboro in three-game weekend series.
 
"Our goal has always been to put together a competitive and challenging schedule that provides our players with the highest level of exposure along with a great playing experience."
 
The Royals will jump into league action on Friday, March 17^th when they travel to Jacksonville State for a weekend series. Queens will return to Charlotte the following weekend as they welcome Lipscomb for their first home ASUN series on Friday, Feb. 24^th.
 
The remainder of league play will consist of alternating weekends at home and on the road. Queens will welcome Florida Gulf Coast, Kennesaw State, Eastern Kentucky, and Stetson to the Queen City. The Royals will travel to Central Arkansas, Austin Peay, North Florida, and Bellarmine for their remaining league games.
 
Once ASUN play begins on the weekends, the Royals will utilize midweek tune ups throughout the weeks to prepare for league opponents. Queens will host USC Upstate, Appalachian State, Davidson, and UNC Asheville while traveling to North Carolina, North Carolina A&T, USC Upstate, and Winthrop.
 
Queens will play three games this season in minor league ballparks beginning with Appalachian State at the Hickory Crawdads Stadium in Hickory, N.C. on Friday, Feb. 17. The Royals will face the reigning Greenville Regional champions from East Carolina at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis on Wednesday, Feb. 29. Rounding out the unique opportunity will be a tilt with Appalachian State at Truist Field in uptown Charlotte on Mar. 29.
 
With the transition to Division I, the Royals schedule will consist of single game midweek contests. On the weekends, Queens will play a three-game series with games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
 
"The 2023 baseball season is something Royals fans should be excited to watch."
 
Be sure to follow the baseball program on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with Queens Baseball. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media @QueensAthletics, to stay up to date with all of Royals' Athletics.