CHICAGO (Dec 19, 2025) - UIC baseball rolled out its 2026 schedule Friday afternoon, highlighting a heavyweight mix of nonconference and Missouri Valley Conference clashes as the Flames enter its fourth season in The Valley.
 
"We are really excited for the upcoming season, we had a really good Fall with a lot of new faces," head coach Sean McDermott said. "I think the schedule is really challenging… I think this is the deepest Valley we've had in a long time. I think there is a lot of teams that are out there that are new and hungry. Obviously, Murray State, going on that run, they are going to have a lot of those key pieces back, so that is going to be a challenge. Super excited about who we have, proud of our coaches, proud of who we recruited and the people we brought in. I am just excited to show who we are as a program, and represent the city, the university, and really represent the character of our alumni base."
 
The 54-game slate is set to begin Feb. 13, when they face the likes of Incarnate Word (Feb. 13-15), UTSA (Feb. 17) and finishing up against Sam Houston State (Feb. 20-23). This Texas road trip is highlighted by their match-up against the Roadrunner at Roadrunners Field after UTSA's 47-15 showing a season ago, clinching a berth in the NCAA regionals.
 
The Flames will continue their road trip the following weekend as they face Tennessee Tech alongside Notre Dame (Feb. 27-28) in a neutral site affair at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex to conclude February. Missouri will follow with a four-game series in Columbia (Mar. 5-8) before wrapping up the road trip back in Illinois taking on local foes Northwestern on Mar. 10.
 
Granderson Stadium will see its first action in a seven-game homestand, leading off with UNC Greensboro (Mar. 13-15) and concluding with its first MVC action of the year against Southern Illinois (Mar. 20-22).
 
Following more MVC road action amidst a seven-game road trip, the Flames return home to host Northwestern (Apr. 7) followed by a three-game series against reigning 2025 MVC champs Murray State (Apr. 10-12).
 
A three-game homestand against Youngstown State (Apr. 24-26) could set up the Flames well for the remainder of the season, as the all-time series goes to UIC, leading 81-39. The last time these two faced off was in 2022 before the Flames moved to the MVC, in which the Penguins took the season series 3-2.
 
The season will wrap up with a final four-game homestand in May against Milwaukee (May 6) and MVC opponents Illinois State (May 8-10) with the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament being hosted at Johnny Reagan Field in Murray, KY beginning on May 20.
 
Some of the key games of this upcoming season can be found below. You can view the entire 2026 UIC baseball schedule here.
 
2026 UIC Baseball Schedule
Feb. 13 at Incarnate Word (Season Opener)
Feb. 17 at UTSA (2025 NCAA Super Regionals appearance)
Feb. 28 vs. Notre Dame (2025 ACC Championship appearance)
March 5 at Missouri (Four-game series begins against SEC opponent)
March 13-15 vs. UNC Greensboro (Home opening series)
March 17 vs. Iowa (2025 B1G Semifinals appearance, first of two games throughout the season)
March 20-22 vs. Southern Illinois (Missouri Valley Conference series opener)
April 7 vs. Northwestern (Chicagoland neighbor in the second of three games throughout the season.)
April 10-12 vs. Murray State (Battling the reigning 2025 MVC champions)
April 24-26 vs. Youngstown State (Facing off against former Horizon League Foe)
May 8-10 vs. Illinois State (Final MVC homestand/ Senior Day/Alumni Weekend)
Note: All Home Games will be in BOLD
 
Many games will be streamed live to ESPN digital networks, including ESPN+. Broadcasts and promotions of all games will be announced at a later date.
 
Ticket pricing and directions on how to purchase tickets for the 2026 UIC Baseball campaign will be announced as the season approaches. Any current questions on the matter can go to the UIC Athletics Ticket Office (312.413.8421; athleticsticketing@uic.edu).
 
For more information on UIC Athletics and UIC baseball, visit UICFlames.com. Fans can also follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_Baseball and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_baseball and @uicflames).
 
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