BELTON, Texas- The 2022 seasons for the UMHB baseball and softball remain over four months away, but scheduling news has already been released.
The baseball team, led by third-year head coach Mike Stawski, aims to build on its first ASC tournament win since 2014. The softball team comes off a season in which it finished as the ASC tournament runner-up, after winning the West Division.
The Crusader baseball team opens the conference slate early, hosting Hardin-Simmons in a three-game series spanning Feb. 11-12. Friday’s first pitch is set for 7 p.m. with a doubleheader following on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.
UMHB travels to Ozarks, sixth in the ASC in 2021, in a series set for March 4-5, and also faces ETBU, Sul Ross State and Howard Payne in the month of April. The Crusaders host ETBU, who finished second in the conference a year ago, in a series on April 1-2. A trip to Sul Ross follows three weeks later, on April 22-23, before the regular season concludes in a home series against Howard Payne April 29-30.
In non-conference play, it has been announced that Stawski’s team is set to play Austin College and Southwestern, both members of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC).
Austin posted a 5-22 record last season, with UMHB winning its road series in Sherman 2-1. That three-game set will be played March 11-12, with the series opener on Friday at 6 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday.
Southwestern, who went 13-5 in SCAC play last season but lost to UMHB twice, travels to Belton on March 29 for a 6 p.m. contest. That is not the last time the two opponents will meet, however, as the Cru is set to face Southwestern in Georgetown on April 26. It marks the Pirates’ final non-conference game of the regular season.
On the softball side, UMHB faces Southwestern on Feb. 5 in Georgetown, for a doubleheader that is set to begin at 1 p.m. CT. The Cru went 2-1 against the Pirates a year ago, and Southwestern posted a 14-19 overall record.
In conference play, the Crusaders travel to Abilene for three games at Hardin-Simmons on Feb. 11-12. It marks Hardin-Simmons’ first conference games of the year, according to the Cowgirls’ 2022 schedule. HSU went 11-11 in ASC play in 2021, with UMHB earning a series sweep in Belton. The format of the series will be a doubleheader on Friday, beginning at 3 p.m., followed by a 12 p.m. first pitch on Saturday.
The second home series for the Cru that has been announced comes March 4-5 against Ozarks. Currently, no times have been set, though Ozarks’ schedule notes a single game on Friday followed by a doubleheader on Saturday. UMHB swept Ozarks last season, outscoring the Eagles 37-6.
To cap off the regular season, UMHB is set to play Howard Payne in Brownwood on April 29-30. HPU was 8-16 in 2021. The series begins with a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m., followed by the series finale the following day at noon.
The Crusader baseball team posted a 22-17 record in 2021, and the softball team went 27-14.
