Story written and posted by Anthony Perry '08, Fisher College Associate Director of Athletics
BOSTON, MASS. – Just over a week away from the first pitch of the 2024 Fisher baseball season, Director of Athletics and Head Baseball Coach Scott Dulin has finalized the Falcons' 50-game regular season schedule this morning. The 23rd campaign in Fisher Baseball history features road trips to several NAIA opponents, along with the annual spring trip to Lawrenceville, Ga. and the return of home games at Fraser Field.
Amongst the NAIA opponents, 4 teams were with the Falcons in the NAIA Opening Round last season, including two that reached the 2023 Avista NAIA World Series. All four programs are nationally ranked in the 2024 NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Preseason poll:
No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett College * | March 8, March 9, April 26, April 27 (DH)
No. 8 University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) * | March 3 (DH), March 4 (DH)
No. 12 Webber International University (Fla.) | March 29 (DH), March 30 (DH)
No. 20 Point Park University (Pa.) | February 9 (DH), February 10 (DH)
* = 2023 Avista NAIA World Series participant
Fisher kicks off the season with a four-game trip to Washington, Pa. where they will battle No. 20 Point Park University. The entire four-game set will take place in Wild Thing Park, the home to the Frontier League's Washington Wild Things – a partner league of Major League Baseball. The Pioneers and Falcons were both in the Upland, Indiana bracket of the 2023 NAIA Opening Round.
The home opener will be on Saturday, February 24 with a double-header against Lasell University. The 12pm game will be the first game inside Fraser Field for the Falcons since April 30, 2022. The historic ballpark recently underwent renovations and is now a completely turfed facility. Saint Joseph's College (Maine) will round out the opening weekend with a twin-bill on Sunday, February 25.
The annual barnstorming spring break bus tour will begin on Saturday, March 2nd with the first of a four-game set at No. 8 Cumberlands (Ky.). The Falcons will then travel to Denmark, South Carolina for a three-game Continental Athletic Conference series with Voorhees College before finishing the southern swing with games in Lawrenceville, Ga, against No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett College (conference foe) and Indiana Tech University on March 8th and 9th.
Fisher will return to the friendly confines of Fraser Field as they welcome former Sunrise Conference opponent, Vermont State University Lyndon for a four-game weekend set on March 16th and 17th. The blue-and-white will then welcome the University of Maine – Presque Isle for three games (March 21 & March 22) before embarking on a tough four-game set in Florida at No. 12 Webber International University on March 29 and March 30.
The April portion of the schedule features a pair of four-game sets with Bryant & Stratton College – Albany. The Falcons will travel west over the April 5 & April 6 weekend and then host the Bobcats on April 19 and April 20. A battle of the Falcons will occur on April 14 as Fisher hosts Albertus Magnus for a 2pm double-header.
Another home-and-home two-game is set is scheduled with Worcester State University (April 3 at Fraser, April 9 at Worcester). It will be alumni reunion of sorts as WSU Head Coach Phil Price played for Coach Dulin at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy (2000-2001).
The Falcons will end the regular season with a three-game set against No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett.
Dulin, who is entering his 23rd season as Fisher's head coach, is looking to return to the NAIA Opening Round for the fourth consecutive season. Over the past 22 seasons, the Falcons are 593-460-2 as a program with 7 Sunrise Conference championships, 4 NAIA Region X championships, 4 NAIA East-Coast Super Regional appearances, and 3 NAIA Opening Round appearances.