Tallahassee Community College releases 2016 baseball, softball schedules
2016 Baseball Schedule
2016 Softball Schedule
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (October 21, 2015) – Tallahassee Community College released is 2016 baseball and softball schedules on Wednesday, exactly 100 days from the January 29 season openers that will continue the Eagles’ 25th anniversary season as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Both teams’ schedules include a Panhandle Conference foe who is also a reigning NJCAA Champion – Northwest Florida State College, who won last spring’s JUCO World Series, and Chipola College, who claimed the NJCAA Softball Championship.
Before conference play begins, however, the Eagles will face a daunting non-conference slate.
On the baseball diamond, Mike McLeod’s Eagles will open the season in Panama City, Fla., at Gulf Coast State College’s annual First Pitch Classic. Tallahassee’s season opener is against Darton (Ga.) State College at 1:30 p.m., Friday, January 29. Later that day, the Eagles will take on 2015 JUCO World Series participant Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) Community College. The next day, Tallahassee will play another doubleheader against the same two teams.
Following a road date at Florida State College at Jacksonville on February 2, the Eagles will play their home opener Thursday, February 4 against Abraham Baldwin (Ga.) Agricultural College. The three-game set with the Stallions also begins a stretch of 16 out of 17 at home for the Eagles that concludes with a three-game series against Chattahoochee Valley February 26-28. In between, Tallahassee will host Santa Fe College (February 10), Shelton State (Ala.) Community College (February 12-14), Florida State College at Jacksonville (February 17), State College of Florida (February 19-20), Thomas University’s JV (February 22 – DH) and South Georgia State College (February 23).
The March schedule will feature a trip to South Georgia State, home-and-homes with Darton State and Andrew (Ga.) College and the Eagles’ annual series with Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College leading up to the Panhandle Conference opener with Pensacola State College on March 12 at Eagle Field.
The 20-game league schedule includes three home dates with Northwest Florida State (April 2, 6, 23) and a pair of home games with arch-rival Chipola College (March 19 and April 11).
The top two teams in the conference will advance to the NJCAA Gulf District/FCSAA State Tournament in Lakeland while the third-place team will advance to a state tournament play-in game against the third-place finisher from the Suncoast Conference.
Moving to the softball diamond, Patti Townsend’s Eagles will open the 2016 schedule in Clearwater, Fla., January 29-31 at the annual JUCO Kickoff Tournament and Showcase. Opponents and game times will be announced at a later date.
Tallahassee plays its home opener Thursday, February 4 against Abraham Baldwin then hosts College of Central Florida on Saturday, February 6 – the lone day on the Eagles’ 2015-16 athletic calendar when all four teams will be in action at home.
Following games at the Chipola Classic (February 12-13) and a trip to Santa Fe (February 16), the Eagles return home for doubleheaders with St. Petersburg College (February 27) and Santa Fe (March 5) before rounding out the pre-conference schedule against a pair of neighboring teams from Georgia – at Abraham Baldwin (March 8) and home against Andrew College (March 14).
The 16-game Panhandle Conference schedule begins March 17 with a home doubleheader against Northwest Florida State.
Following the first round of league games, Tallahassee will play its final non-conference doubleheader at Darton State on March 29 then Chipola comes to town for the final home doubleheader on April 5.
The top four teams in the PC will qualify for the FCSAA State Tournament in Vero Beach, Fla.
NOTE: Both schedules are subject to change.