I like that it is not as hard as last year, which was simply too hard for the caliber of a brand new roster.
It is more like some of the better Rick Jones schedules. The Ole Miss home series should be fun. UCSB had a rough last two years but went to the CWS in 2016 and went to regional three times from 2013 to 2016, so it will be interesting to see whether that team can bounce back.
Opening opponent George Washington is mediocre but has finished with a winning record in three of the last four years and finished with an RPI of 103 last season.
The tournament in Cary, N.C. is being hosted by Army, which has been very difficult to deal with in determining the field. Fordham is one of the other teams in what will be either a four- or five-team event, but the others have not been announced. Fordham went 35-19 last year and had an RPI of 116.
UC Riverside almost never is a contender in the Big West and was below 200 in the RPI last year. Back in the day, Tulane used to play periodically in the Riverside tournament that featured about six games and usually had a really good field.
Houston Baptist finished with an RPI of 111 last year and was reasonably competitive in the Southland.
Southern Miss is not on the schedule, but it's not an LSU deal where the schools are at odds. The dates simply did not work out for midweek series, and look for the Golden Eagles to be back on the schedule next year.
There are three games with UNO again.
Travis Jewett does a good job of not scheduling predicted bottom feeders, a problem that used to kill Tulane's RPI in the later stages of Rick Jones' career. This schedule is manageable and smart.
This is a huge year for Jewett obviously. The third year should be a good season if the coach is good, so there will be a ton of pressure on him to produce results.
It is more like some of the better Rick Jones schedules. The Ole Miss home series should be fun. UCSB had a rough last two years but went to the CWS in 2016 and went to regional three times from 2013 to 2016, so it will be interesting to see whether that team can bounce back.
Opening opponent George Washington is mediocre but has finished with a winning record in three of the last four years and finished with an RPI of 103 last season.
The tournament in Cary, N.C. is being hosted by Army, which has been very difficult to deal with in determining the field. Fordham is one of the other teams in what will be either a four- or five-team event, but the others have not been announced. Fordham went 35-19 last year and had an RPI of 116.
UC Riverside almost never is a contender in the Big West and was below 200 in the RPI last year. Back in the day, Tulane used to play periodically in the Riverside tournament that featured about six games and usually had a really good field.
Houston Baptist finished with an RPI of 111 last year and was reasonably competitive in the Southland.
Southern Miss is not on the schedule, but it's not an LSU deal where the schools are at odds. The dates simply did not work out for midweek series, and look for the Golden Eagles to be back on the schedule next year.
There are three games with UNO again.
Travis Jewett does a good job of not scheduling predicted bottom feeders, a problem that used to kill Tulane's RPI in the later stages of Rick Jones' career. This schedule is manageable and smart.
This is a huge year for Jewett obviously. The third year should be a good season if the coach is good, so there will be a ton of pressure on him to produce results.