BLUFFTON, S.C. - With the season beginning in a month, the USCB baseball team announced its 2023 slate, which features a full Peach Belt Conference slate and 22 home games.

Entering his third year at USCB, head coach Ted Falkner begins the Sand Shark baseball schedule with a familiar opponent in former Sun Conference rival Webber International. USCB and WIU will play a four-game, non-conference set beginning on Feb. 3-4 in Babson Park, Fla. The Warriors are off an incredible season, which featured a 43-win year and a 28-8 mark at their home ballpark. In head-to-head games last year, USCB won the three-game set, two games to one. The Warriors finished the year strong by advancing to Lewiston for the NAIA World Series before falling to No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan.

After opening the year, USCB will play its first home game of the year against another tough NAIA opponent in Middle Georgia State. The nine-inning matchup is set for Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. at Richard Gray Stadium.

With five games under their belt, USCB will play four games at Francis Marion in the Pepsi Invitational Tournament from Feb. 10-12 in Florence, S.C. The Sand Sharks will play FMU and Catawba, both twice, in the three-day span.

After a non-conference bout at home with St. Andrews on Feb. 14, USCB will play its first-ever Peach Belt Conference series on the road, as it travels to Lander for a three-game series from Feb. 17-19.

After being on the road for 11 of the 13 games to start the year, USCB will get comfortable at home, as eight of the next nine contests will be held at Richard Gray Stadium. Kicking off that stretch is its first-ever PBC matchup at home against Claflin from Feb. 24-26. After a matchup with MGSU on Feb. 28 on the road, the Sand Sharks welcome in-state rival USC Aiken to the Lowcountry from March 3-5. Rounding out the homestand is a two-game, mid-week tilt versus Continental Athletic Conference foe Iowa Wesleyan on March 7-8.

The Sand Sharks will then hit the road for six league games against Georgia College (March 10-12) and Georgia Southwestern (March 17-19).

USCB will then host 31-win (2022 season) North Georgia for three games from March 24-26. First pitch for Friday's contest is set for 6 p.m. followed up with 2 p.m. and 12 p.m. starts the following two days, respectively.

Following four games on the road at Flagler and St. Andrews, the Sand Sharks will again see a lot of games at home. In fact, USCB will play nine straight games at Richard Gray Stadium beginning with NAIA and CAC foe Georgia Gwinnett on April 7 and 8. The following weekend will feature a three-game tilt with Young Harris, and to conclude the 2023 home season will be a tough series with NCAA DII No. 10 Columbus State (April 21-23). The Cougars went 46-13 a year ago, including a 20-6 mark in league action. They advanced to the NCAA Southeast Super Regional before being eliminated by eventual national champions - No. 1 North Greenville.

To end the 2023 regular season will be a three-game set from April 28-29 at Augusta. Friday will be a single, nine-inning contest at 2 p.m. followed by a doubleheader on April 29 starting at 1 p.m.

Since USCB is in its first year of NCAA provisional membership, USCB is not allowed to participate in NCAA postseason. However, the Sand Sharks are allowed to compete in the NAIA's independent conference championship - the Continental Athletic Conference Tournament. USCB will have faced two members in 2023 in the league - Iowa Wesleyan and Georgia Gwinnett. The postseason tournament, which features two automatic bids to the NAIA National Tournament, runs from May 6-8 at GGC.

To view the complete 2023 schedule, click HERE.