With the calendar officially turned to 2016, baseball is coming back to downtown Greenville in short order, as the Greenville Drive have placed tickets on sale for the College Baseball Series at Fluor Field.
The tournament is poised to bring a unique brand of excitement to baseball fans in the Upstate and beyond.
Fluor Field’s college baseball schedule in 2016 is highlighted by the Reedy River Rivalry between the Clemson Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks, the return of the Southern Conference tournament to Greenville for the first time since 2013 and 12 additional games featuring some new and familiar faces to baseball fans in the Upstate.
In addition to Clemson and South Carolina, the Palmetto State will be represented in the College Baseball Series by the Furman Paladins, Anderson Trojans, North Greenville Crusaders, Presbyterian Blue Hose, USC Upstate Spartans and Wofford Terriers, all of whom are returnees to Fluor Field.
Two out-of-state teams will also be part of the College Baseball Series in 2016. The Michigan State Spartans will return for their ninth consecutive season playing in Greenville, while the Fordham Rams will be making their Fluor Field debut.
“We are excited to continue our tradition of hosting high-quality college baseball at Fluor Field,” commented Drive General Manager Eric Jarinko. “This year’s schedule features a number of familiar programs, including some of the top programs in the state of South Carolina, and baseball fans in the Upstate will undoubtedly enjoy all the action of college baseball in Downtown Greenville.”
Tickets for all college games not involving South Carolina or Clemson will be $8 if purchased before the day of game, and $9 the day of the game. Tickets for games involving South Carolina or Clemson will be sold at regular tiered pricing ranging from $8-$10, but tickets for the Reedy River Rivalry can only be purchased through the ticket offices of South Carolina and Clemson. Fans can purchase tickets or get more information by calling the Fluor Field box office at (864) 240-4528, visiting the box office on Main Street, or by clicking here.
The College Baseball Series at Fluor Field kicks off the weekend of Friday, February 19th through Sunday, February 21st with the 7th annual First Pitch Invitational. The opening weekend will feature round-robin action between Furman, Michigan State, Presybterian and Fordham. Games will be held at 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM on Friday, 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM on Saturday and 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM on Sunday.
“The Drive organization is proud to host these four terrific programs in Greenville on the opening weekend of college baseball across the country,” said Drive Owner/Team President Craig Brown, a Michigan State alum. “This signature event is something baseball fans in the Upstate can rally around as we welcome returning programs Furman, Michigan State and Presbyterian as well as a newcomer in Fordham to Fluor Field.”
College baseball’s fiercest rivalry returns to center stage at Fluor Field on Saturday, March 5th, as the Clemson Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks will square off at 2:30 PM. The game will be the sixth meeting between the national powerhouses in Downtown Greenville. The Gamecocks hold a 4-1 lead in the matchups at Fluor Field, which includes victories each of the past two seasons. The rivalry will feature a prominent new face, as Monte Lee took over for Jack Leggett as Clemson’s head coach this summer.
The last five contests between Clemson and South Carolina in Downtown Greenville have compiled record attendance numbers. Last year’s game saw 7,175 fans come through the gates, which marked the fourth-highest attendance ever for a game at Fluor Field.
Tickets for this exciting installment of the Reedy River Rivalry can only be purchased through the ticketing departments of Clemson and South Carolina.
“Hosting the Reedy River Rivalry at Fluor Field is always a highlight of the college baseball season,” said Jarinko. “These are two of the premier programs in all of college baseball, with South Carolina winning back-to-back national championships in 2010-11 and Clemson reaching the College World Series four times since 2000.”
“We’re excited to welcome Monte Lee to the Reedy River Rivalry as Clemson’s head coach for the first time, and look forward to having his Tigers and Chad Holbrook’s Gamecocks back in Greenville.”
South Carolina will return to Fluor Field twice more during their 2016 schedule, with the next matchup against USC-Upstate taking place on Tuesday, March 15th at 7:00 PM. The Gamecocks will also take on Furman on Wednesday, April 20th at 7:00 PM.
On Thursday, March 17th at 7:00 PM, Division 2 baseball will take center stage under the lights of Fluor Field as Anderson opposes North Greenville.
Clemson’s return trip to Fluor Field will take place on Tuesday, March 29th against Furman at 7:00 PM.
The HBCU Classic presented by Michelin will return to Fluor Field on Friday, April 15th at 7:00 PM. The game will feature at least one Historically Black College and University, and the teams for this contest will be announced at a later date.
A pair of Spartanburg schools will meet in Greenville on Wednesday, May 11th at 7:00 PM when USC Upstate and Wofford square off.
College baseball at Fluor Field will wrap up between Tuesday, May 24th and Sunday, May 29th with the Southern Conference Baseball Tournament. Returning to Greenville after a two-year absence, the SoCon Tournament will feature all nine teams competing for an automatic bid to an NCAA regional appearance. The Citadel, Furman and Wofford will play in their home state during the tournament, while the tournament will also feature East Tennessee State, Mercer, UNC-Greensboro, Samford, VMI and Western Carolina.
Don’t miss your chance to catch the 2016 College Baseball Series at Fluor Field! The games and times are listed below.
2016 College Baseball Schedule
| February | ||
| 19 (Fri) | Michigan State vs. Presbyterian | 2:00 PM |
| Furman vs. Fordham | 6:00 PM | |
| 20 (Sat) | Furman vs. Michigan State | 12:00 PM |
| Presbyterian vs. Fordham | 4:00 PM | |
| 21 (Sun) | Michigan State vs. Fordham | 11:00 AM |
| Furman vs. Presbyterian | 3:00 PM | |
| March | ||
| 5 (Sat) | Clemson vs. South Carolina | 2:00 PM |
| 15 (Tue) | South Carolina vs. USC Upstate | 7:00 PM |
| 17 (Thu) | North Greenville vs. Anderson | 7:00 PM |
| 29 (Tue) | Furman vs. Clemson | 7:00 PM |
| April | ||
| 15 (Fri) | HBCU Classic | 7:00 PM |
| 20 (Wed) | Furman vs. South Carolina | 7:00 PM |
| May | ||
| 11 (Wed) | Wofford vs. USC Upstate | 7:00 PM |
| 23-29 (Tue-Sun) | SoCon Tournament | TBA |