FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Conference Season to Begin on March 27.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Nearly one full calendar year has elapsed since the Northeast-10 Conference baseball teams had their 2020 spring season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning on March 27, conference play begins once again.
The NE10 has released its 2021 baseball schedule, which features a divisional format – Northeast and Southwest – with all programs slated to compete in 24 conference games. Series will consist of four games on weekends in doubleheader format against divisional opponents. Click here for the full schedule.
All scheduled games are subject to change based on COVID-19 health and safety protocol. Schools will also have the ability to extend weekend series to three days or alter the days on which they play in accordance with their academic calendars.
The dates for the NE10 Baseball Championship will be announced in March, as will the procedure for tournament seeding and playoff structure.
"Announcing our NE10 competition schedules marks another step on our road to resumption of play next month," said NE10 Commissioner Julie Ruppert. "Our spring sport schedules have been reimagined from previous years and represent a Conference-wide philosophy to maximize competitive opportunities while responsibly managing and minimizing travel time and exposure off campus. Our teams will be focused more than ever on NE10 play as intra-Conference games will comprise the vast majority of teams' competitive schedules."
In accordance with the announcement made by the NE10 Council of Presidents on Monday, Feb. 15, league institutions will have the autonomy to determine if they cannot safely participate in intercollegiate athletics this spring and in which sports they will not permit competition.
All teams will be subject to follow NE10 COVID-19 testing protocols, in addition to health and safety guidelines from their institutions and local communities. The safety and well-being of student-athletes remains the primary focus of the league.
"The unique approach to scheduling in 2021 adheres to the guidelines set forth by our Council of Presidents last week in approving our return to competition and for now is our new normal," said Ruppert. "Many individuals across our membership have worked cooperatively to chart this safe and responsible pathway forward for the spring sports and we are so appreciative of their efforts."
Entering the season, Southern New Hampshire is ranked No. 13 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) national preseason rankings to lead all NE10 programs. Franklin Pierce, Adelphi and Le Moyne are all receiving votes in the poll.
Opening weekend for NE10 baseball is March 27-28. The entire schedule consists of seven weekends, concluding on May 7-8. Key matchups include Adelphi traveling to play Le Moyne on April 17-18, while Franklin Pierce will visit Southern New Hampshire on the weekend of May 1-2. The Ravens are the reigning NE10 champion after beating Merrimack twice to claim the 2019 league title.
Attendance policies will be determined individually by NE10 institutions, but schools will work to provide live streams of home baseball games when possible on NE10 NOW – the digital home of the Northeast-10 Conference. Visit NE10NOW.tv for the full list of games as they become available.
The NCAA selection date for baseball is Sunday, May 23. Regionals are scheduled for May 27-30 at eight different sites and the NCAA Baseball Championship will take place from June 5-12 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
