Kent State Baseball Announces 2026 Schedule Featuring Matchups with Reigning National Champions and Power Four Programs
12/17/2025 6:00:00 PM | Baseball
KENT, Ohio – Kent State baseball head coach Jeff Duncan announced the Golden Flashes' 2026 schedule, featuring a challenging slate that includes road contests against defending national champion LSU and perennial powerhouse Tennessee, along with a robust Mid-American Conference schedule.
The Golden Flashes will open their season with a weekend series at Southeastern Louisiana, February 13-15, in Hammond, Louisiana.
Marquee Non-Conference Matchups
Kent State's non-conference schedule features several high-profile opponents that will test the Golden Flashes early in the season. On February 16, Kent State travels to Baton Rouge to face Louisiana State University, the 2023 and defending national champions.
The following weekend, the Golden Flashes head to Knoxville for a three-game series (Feb. 20-22) against Tennessee, the 2024 national champions.
On March 10, Kent State travels to Columbus to face Ohio State. The Golden Flashes defeated the Buckeyes 8-3 in Columbus last season.
Additional non-conference highlights include home-opening series against 2025 A-10 Champions Rhode Island (Feb. 27-March 1), St. Bonaventure (March 4), 2025 Horizon League Champions Wright State (March 17), Pittsburgh (March 24), Baldwin Wallace (March 31), and Youngstown State (May 12). The Golden Flashes will also face Akron in a non-conference home contest on April 6 before meeting the Zips again in a MAC series May 1-3. Kent State will also travel to Pittsburgh to play a road game versus the Panthers on April 29.
Mid-American Conference Schedule
Kent State will play 11 MAC series throughout the spring, with conference games beginning March 6-8 when Bowling Green visits Schoonover Stadium. The Golden Flashes will host five MAC series at home: Bowling Green, Central Michigan (March 13-15), Miami (OH) (March 27-29), Ball State (April 17-19), and Eastern Michigan (May 8-10).
Road MAC series includes UMass (March 20-22), Ohio (April 2-4), Northern Illinois (April 10-12), Western Michigan (April 24-26), Akron (May 1-3), and the last series of the season, Toledo (May 14-16).
The MAC Tournament is set for May 20-24 at the Lake Erie Crushers Stadium in Avon, Ohio.
View the full schedule here.
Be The Difference, Support the Baseball Excellence Fund
Support Coach Duncan and the baseball program today by donating to the Baseball Excellence Fund by clicking here.
Follow Kent State Baseball
For complete coverage of Kent State Baseball, download the official Kent State Golden Flashes app (iOS, Android) and follow the Golden Flashes on social media on X, Instagram, and Facebook for news and updates.
