ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana baseball will begin their 2022 season this weekend with a southern road trip for a trio of non-conference games.
 
The Vikings will take on three quality opponents to start the season in Memphis. Augie's first matchup will be against the Cougars of Concordia-Chicago on Friday, Feb. 18. The Vikings will then take on 14^th-ranked Webster University on Saturday, Feb. 19. The weekend road trip will then wrap up on Sunday, Feb. 20 against Fontbonne.
 
Augustana is looking to build upon their remarkable season a year ago. The Vikings finished as the CCIW runner-up with a 35-9 overall record and 25-7 mark in conference play. Augustana returns several key contributors from all aspects of the game. Matt Ozanic, the team's second-leading hitter last season, brings his .325 batting average in 138 at bats. Other important offensive returners include Alex Simon, Alec McGinnis, and Griffen Pschigoda. The Vikings also bring back a stable of starting and relief pitchers. Matt Hoban will likely be the ace for Augie after posting a 4-2 record and 2.75 earned run average last season. Other key arms coming back include Harrison Boushele and Sam Cregan.
 
Concordia-Chicago will also start their season on Friday. The Cougars will look to improve upon their 11-25 overall record and 4-16 record in the NACC last season. Augustana holds a 9-3 advantage over CUC in the all-time series. The Vikings won the series' first nine matchups while the Cougars have won the last three. Most recently, Concordia-Chicago swept a double-header against Augie in 2013.
 
Webster University will be a tough early test for Augustana as the Gorloks are ranked 14^th in the NCBWA Preseason Top 25 and were selected as the favorite to win the SLIAC. Webster had a phenomenal season in 2021 with a 37-8 overall record and 25-3 record in conference action. The Gorloks' 2021 campaign ended in the NCAA Regionals. The Vikings and Gorloks have split the four previous matchups in the all-time series dating back to 2007. 2013 marked the last time the two teams faced off with a split double-header.
 
The Vikings' final opponent of the weekend, Fontbonne, posted a solid resume last year. The Griffins finished 24-18 overall and 19-9 in the SLIAC in 2021. Fontbonne and Augustana faced off to start the Griffins' 2021 schedule with the Vikings taking a 5-3 win. Overall, Augie holds a 3-1 advantage in the historical series dating back to 2001.
 
Note: Due to off-campus location Sunday's game versus Fontbonne will not be broadcast on Rhodes College's live feeds.
 
Game Coverage

• Time: vs. Concordia-Chicago (Feb. 18) @ 10:30 A.M.; vs. Webster (Feb. 19) @ 10:30 A.M.; vs. Fontbonne (Feb. 20) @ 9:30 A.M.
• Location: Memphis, Tenn.
• Live video
• Live stats