MERION STATION, Pa. – Saint Joseph's baseball head coach Fritz Hamburg has announced the Hawks' slate of games for the upcoming 2022 season.  The schedule features 24 home games at Smithson Field as well as an eight-weekend, 24-game Atlantic 10 conference slate and the return of the Liberty Bell Classic.
 
"We are excited to return to a schedule that is closer to the pre-pandemic days," Hamburg said.  "One change is trying to play more home games.  The opener with Quinnipiac could be a cold weekend but hopefully the weather cooperates.  The early part of our schedule is competitive and should absolutely prepare us as we head into conference play.  We haven't played UMBC in over 20 years, Fairfield and Radford in close to 10 years, and we've never played Cincinnati.  Eight midweek matchups with regional rivals Rutgers, Seton Hall, Delaware, and Villanova, at home and on the road, should add excitement and solid competition to the schedule."
 
The Hawks will open the season with the earliest home dates in program history as Quinnipiac visits Smithson Field for a three-game set beginning February 18.  A trip to UMBC follows a week later before a home game against Rutgers and a series against Fairfield kick off the March slate.  The Hawks will spend most of the month on the road, playing 10 out of 11 at Radford, Cincinnati, Bucknell, and Seton Hall around a home date with Villanova.  The Hawks will then host Seton Hall before Delaware comes to Hawk Hill for the Liberty Bell Classic quarterfinals on March 29.
 
"It's been two years since we competed for a Liberty Bell championship," Hamburg said.  "The LBC is exciting and earning the opportunity to advance and play at Citizens Bank Park can result in having a memorable experience.  Playing in the championship game under the lights in a big-league park is a real thrill."
 
SJU heads to UMass to kick off Atlantic 10 play on April 1 before a second round Liberty Bell matchup with either Lehigh or Rider at Smithson Field on April 5.  That kicks off an eight-game homestand, as the Hawks will host George Mason and George Washington in a pair of league series with another matchup against Delaware sandwiched in between.
 
The next eight will be away from home as Saint Joseph's visits reigning Atlantic 10 champion VCU April 22-24 and then heads to Fordham the following weekend.  The Liberty Bell Classic championship game is scheduled for April 26 at Citizens Bank Park; if the Hawks are eliminated prior to the title game, they will visit Delaware on the same date.  A return trip to Villanova on May 4 rounds out the road stretch.
 
The final two home series of the conference schedule bring Saint Louis and Davidson to Smithson Field before the Hawks wrap up the regular season with a trip to Rutgers on May 17 and a three-game set at St. Bonaventure May 19-21.
 
Fordham's Houlihan Park will host the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship May 25 through 28.
 
"Last year's schedule was unique in its own right," Hamburg said.  "We were certainly glad for the opportunity to play the season out, all things considered.  To now have the schedule returning to the original format is a good thing.  We certainly have some good matchups at home with George Mason, George Washington, Saint Louis, and Davidson.  We haven't played Davidson or Saint Louis in some time so it's exciting to have them back on the schedule, especially at home.

"The schedule has a good rhythm to it.  We aren't taking any trips to Florida or the West Coast, no flights, and no change in time zones.  We feel that with more home games and shorter trips, this schedule sets us up to be sharper and in position to play really well."