FAYETTEVILLE — Four Arkansas baseball series have been changed to a Thursday-Friday-Saturday format in 2019.
The changes are for the Razorbacks' series at Southern Cal (Feb. 21-23) and Auburn (April 4-6), and at home against Mississippi State (April 18-20) and LSU (May 9-11).
A fifth series at Texas A&M (May 16-18) already was scheduled to begin on Thursday, in accordance with Southeastern Conference regulations for the end of the regular season.
The changes for the Auburn and LSU series are likely to accommodate TV, although the SEC has not yet announced its TV coverage plans for the 2019 season. ESPN affiliates, including SEC Network, have primetime SEC baseball telecasts on Thursdays during conference play.
The Mississippi State change was made to move a game away from the Easter holiday on April 21. Arkansas and other SEC teams have increasingly avoided playing on Easter, which traditionally has much lower attendance than other Sunday conference games.
The dates for the games at USC were changed by the Trojans, but it is unclear whether the change was made for TV. Like SEC Network, Pac-12 Networks has yet to announce its coverage plans for 2019.
The Razorbacks are scheduled to open the season with a game against Eastern Illinois at 3 p.m. on Feb. 15 at Baum Stadium. Arkansas will begin preseason practice late next month.
2019 Arkansas Baseball Schedule
All Times Central
Feb. 15 - Eastern Illinois, 3 p.m.
Feb. 16 - Eastern Illinois, 2 p.m.
Feb. 17 - Eastern Illinois, 1 p.m.
Feb. 21 - at Southern Cal, 9 p.m.
Feb. 22 - at Southern Cal, 8 p.m.
Feb. 23 - at Southern Cal, 8 p.m.
Feb. 27 - Memphis, 3 p.m.
March 1 - Stony Brook, 3 p.m.
March 2 - Stony Brook, 3 p.m.
March 3 - Stony Brook, 1 p.m.
March 5 - Charlotte, 3 p.m.
March 6 - Charlotte, 3 p.m.
March 8 - Louisiana Tech, 6 p.m.
March 9 - Louisiana Tech, 1 p.m.
March 10 - Louisiana Tech, 1 p.m.
March 12 - Western Illinois, 6:30 p.m.
March 13 - Western Illinois, 3 p.m.
March 15 - Missouri, 6:30 p.m.
March 16 - Missouri, 2 p.m.
March 17 - Missouri, 1:30 p.m.
March 19 - at Texas, TBA
March 20 - at Texas, TBA
March 22 - at Alabama, TBA
March 23 - at Alabama, TBA
March 24 - at Alabama, TBA
March 26 - at Missouri State, 6:30 p.m.
March 29 - Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m.
March 30 - Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m.
March 31 - Ole Miss, 1:30 p.m.
April 2 - Arkansas-Little Rock, 6:30 p.m.
April 4 - at Auburn, TBA
April 5 - at Auburn, TBA
April 6 - at Auburn, TBA
April 9 - Oral Roberts, 6:30 p.m.
April 12 - at Vanderbilt, 6:30 p.m.
April 13 - at Vanderbilt, 2 p.m.
April 14 - at Vanderbilt, 1 p.m.
April 16 - Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 6:30 p.m.
April 18 - Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m.
April 19 - Mississippi State, 6:30 p.m.
April 20 - Mississippi State, 2 p.m.
April 23 - Northwestern State, 6:30 p.m.
April 24 - Northwestern State, 3 p.m.
April 26 - Tennessee, 6:30 p.m.
April 27 - Tennessee, 6:30 p.m.
April 28 - Tennessee, 1:30 p.m.
April 30 - vs. Grambling State (North Little Rock), 6:30 p.m.
May 3 - at Kentucky, TBA
May 4 - at Kentucky, TBA
May 5 - at Kentucky, TBA
May 9 - LSU, 6:30 p.m.
May 10 - LSU, 6:30 p.m.
May 11 - LSU, 2 p.m.
May 16 - at Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m.
May 17 - at Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m.
May 18 - at Texas A&M, 2 p.m.