MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (December 23, 2021) – The St. Thomas University Bobcats Baseball team announces the 2022 slate under the direction of Head Coach, Jorge Perez, who enters his 14^th season at the helm.
 
The Bobcats head into the season ranked 17^th in the nation according to the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released on November 3^rd. The 2022 schedule features 54-games against some of the toughest competition in the NAIA and NCAA Division II. Ten of the Bobcats' opponents were mentioned in the preseason poll with seven in the top-25, three are receiving votes.
 
Prior to the season opener the Bobcats will play two scrimmages against local junior colleges, Indian River State College and Miami-Dade College.
 
The non-conference schedule is made up of 30-games, seven of the opponents are ranked or receiving votes, and all seven made a playoff appearance last year in the NAIA Opening Round.
 
February 1 commences the journey to return to Lewiston, Idaho as the Bobcats open at home against Florida National under the lights. St. Thomas gets right into the Division II action taking on local foe Barry University at home.
 
The team will then head to Georgia to play four games from February 10-12. Two of the four games are against Top-10 opponents in 2019 champion, Tennessee Wesleyan (5) and consistent national powerhouse, Faulkner (6). The trip wraps up with no. 21 Reinhardt.
 
The initial non-conference preseason wraps up with a return home against NCAA DII, Lynn University.
 
Last year the Sun Conference sent a record five-teams to the Opening Round field. Joining St. Thomas in the rankings is Southeastern (3), Keiser (8), and Webber International and Warner come in at receiving votes.
 
"Tough schedules make the team better, it is the only way to accurately evaluate your team and face adversity," stated Coach Perez when asked about the strong non-conference schedule. "We try and put ourselves in a position to compete at a high level at the end of the season. Nothing prepares the team better for a playoff run than a competitive schedule."
 
The first of eight Sun Conference series begins with hosting Ave Maria at home on February 18-19. Some midweek action immediately follows against Keiser on Tuesday the 22^nd at home to close out the five-game home stand.
 
St. Thomas then hits the road for their second conference series at Thomasville, Ga. on February 25-26. The Bobcats will then hit the road for a 10-game stint playing in neutral site locations. From March 5-12 the team will play a three-game series against no. 24 Bellevue, a two-game series against (RV) Indiana Tech and will play (RV) Olivet Nazarene and no. 18 Concordia in the Warner Spring Break Invitational. Concordia made an NAIA World Series appearance last year as a three seed winning the Bellevue Bracket.
 
The Bobcats will then return the long road stretch with playing 10 of their next 13-games at home. The home stand welcomes Bryant Stratton for two games, Florida Memorial for midweek action, a Sun Conference series against USC-Beaufort, NCAA Division II Palm Beach Atlantic, and a three-game series against no. 12 Loyola. The three-away games will be conference action against no. 8 Keiser.
 
Sun Conference play rounds out in April with two road series and two home series. Southeastern and Webber International make up the away series while Florida Memorial and Warner round out the home series. Midweeks in April are all away games against NCAA Division II Lynn, Nova Southeastern, Palm Beach Atlantic and Sun Conference foe Keiser.
 
"These challenges will make the team better; players and coaches included. We eagerly look forward to the competition and are excited to start the season," quoted Perez in looking ahead for 2022.
 
The Sun Conference Tournament is scheduled to take place from May 5-8 at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla. The national tournament begins with the Opening Rounds from May 16-19 on campus sites. The Avista-NAIA World Series will be from May 27-June 3 on the campus of Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho.