GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University baseball team has announced its 2026 schedule according to head coach Brandon Steele.
The Pioneers will play 49 regular-season games including 33 South Atlantic Conference contests. TU will also play 13 games against opponents who advanced to last year's NCAA Division II Tournament.
The Pioneers return 15 lettermen from last year's 17-32 squad that finished 10th in the conference standings.
Tusculum opens the year Jan. 30-31 with a three-game series at traditional Southeast Region power UNC Pembroke. UNCP went 28-22 last year and finished seventh in Conference Carolinas. The Pioneers and Braves last met on the diamond in 2000 where TU won that inaugural encounter.
Tusculum will host Charleston (W.Va.) for a three-game series Feb. 7-8 at Pioneer Park. This will be the first time the Pioneers and the Golden Eagles. UC went 26-25 overall last year but won the Mountain East Conference South Division title.
On Feb. 10, Tusculum will host arch-rival Carson-Newman for the first of five meetings in 2026. The first game will be a mid-week non-conference clash. C-N went 37-19 last year and finished third in the league while earning an at-large berth to the NCAA postseason. The Eagles won last year's lone meeting to take a 122-84-1 lead in the series that began in 1904.
Tusculum opens the conference campaign Feb. 13-14 with a trip to defending SAC Champion Catawba for a three-game series. The Catawba Indians posted a 46-14 worksheet in 2026 while also winning the SAC Tournament title and earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the Southeast Region Championship series. Catawba swept the Pioneers last year in Salisbury to take a 61-39 lead in the series.
The Pioneers will host Trevecca Nazarene on Feb. 17 in the first of two meetings this year. The Trojans finished sixth in the Gulf South Conference and ended the year with a 23-27 record. The series is tied between TU and Trevecca at 4-4 and this will be the first meeting since 2017.
Tusculum hosts Anderson for a three-game SAC series Feb. 20-21. The Trojans won last year's series 2-1 as AU finished 10th in the league. TU leads the series 34-24.
The Pioneers travel to Wingate Feb. 27-28 for a three-game set against the Bulldogs. Wingate placed sixth in the conference and swept TU in last year's series. Tusculum still owns a 46-42-1 lead in the all-time meeting with the Bulldogs.
Tusculum opens the month with a Mar. 3 home game with long-time foe King at Pioneer Park. TU swept last year's two meetings and have won six in a row over the Tornado. King tied for 11th in Conference Carolinas and finished with a 14-37 record. Since 1909, Tusculum leads the series 51-26.
On Mar. 6-7, Tusculum travels to Emory & Henry for a three-game series against the Wasps. E&H went 17-33 last year and finished 12th in the conference. Tusculum swept last year's series in Greeneville as the Wasps lead the series 39-32 with the first encounter coming in 1904.
Tusculum travels to Bristol on Mar. 10 for a rematch with King before returning home to host Newberry for a SAC series against the Wolves. Newberry tied for seventh in the league and went 25-27 on the year. The Wolves won last year's series 2-1 as Tusculum has a 55-25 edge in the all-time meetings with Newberry.
Tusculum travels to Nashville for a Mar. 18 rematch with Trevecca Nazarene before hosting Carson-Newman Mar. 20-21 for a league series in Greeneville.
On Mar. 24, TU hosts Lee in the first of two regular-season contests. The Flames went 24-26 last year and finished seventh in the Gulf South. Tusculum and Lee split last year's two games as the series remains tied at 11-11.
On Mar. 27-28, Tusculum travels to Lincoln Memorial for a SAC weekend set. The Railsplitters finished ninth in the conference in 2025 and ended the year 24-23. Tusculum won the series 2-1 in Greeneville as LMU maintains a 98-79 lead over the Pioneers dating back to 1915.
Tusculum travels to Young Harris on Mar. 31 to battle the Mountain Lions. Young Harris went 40-17 to tie for first place for the Conference Carolinas title. YHC got to the Conference Carolinas Tournament title game but finished runner-up and advanced to the NCAA postseason. TU and the Mountain Lions split last year's series as the Pioneers maintain a 13-7 lead in the series.
Tusculum hosts cross-mountain rival Mars Hill Apr. 3-4 for a three-game series. TU took two of three from the Lions in 2025 to take a 67-34 series advantage since 1911. Mars Hill placed 13th in the SAC last year and finished with a 14-36 record.
Tusculum has a rematch at Lee on Apr. 7 before traveling to UVA Wise for a three-game SAC battle with the Highland Cavaliers. The Cavs tied for seventh in the SAC and finished with a 26-24 record. Tusculum and Wise split last year's two mid-week games as TU owns a 39-14 lead in the series.
Tusculum will make the short trip to Jefferson City on Apr. 14 for a non-conference battle with Carson-Newman.
The Pioneers return home to host Lenoir-Rhyne, Apr. 17-18 in Greeneville. The Bears enjoyed one of its finest seasons in program history in 2025. LR finished runner-up in the SAC regular-season and postseason to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. LR swept through the Southeast Regional opening weekend in Belmont before taking two of three over Catawba in the Southeast Super Regional and advance to the DII College World Series. LR finished the season with a 50-15 mark including a three-game sweep over Tusculum to trip the Pioneers lead in the series, 55-40.
TU hosts Young Harris on Apr. 22 before wrapping up the regular season at Coker for a three-game series (Apr. 24-25). The Cobras tied for fourth place in the SAC including three wins over the Pioneers. Coker finished the year with a 30-22 record to tie the series with TU at 17-17.
The opening round of the SAC Tournament will be held at campus sites May 1-3 with the winners advancing to the SAC Championship series on May 8-9 at the home of the highest remaining seed.
The NCAA Southeast Regional will be held May 15-17 with the Southeast Super Regional being held May 23-26. The Division II College World Series will be held May 29-June 6 in Cary, North Carolina.
