KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan baseball and head coach Billy Gernon announced its 54-game 2021 schedule on Friday highlighted by six home weekend series played at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field.

The Broncos will have 14 weekend series along with a midweek match-up against Notre Dame in early April. Western Michigan will play four non-conference weekend series before beginning a challenging Mid-American Conference slate.

Each MAC weekend is a four-game series with a seven-inning doubleheader on Saturday's. Due to COVID-19 there will be no MAC Tournament as the team with the best conference record in the regular season will represent the MAC in the NCAA Tournament.

Western Michigan kicks off its 2021 campaign Feb. 26-28 in Manhattan, Kansas against the Wildcats of Kansas State. Kansas State is led by Preseason All-American and Big 12 preseason pitcher of the year Jordan Wicks. Following its three-game series with the Wildcats the Broncos will travel to challenge Saint Louis, March 5-7. The Billikens were deemed a top 100 program by D1Baseball.

In its final non-conference road series WMU will square off with 2019 NCAA Tournament participant Cincinnati, March 12-14. Last year prior to the season being canceled the Bearcats had an overall record of 7-8 including a perfect 7-0 record at home. Cincinnati was picked to finish sixth in the preseason American Athletic Conference coaches' poll.

WMU opens up conference play March 19-21 on the road at Ball State before hosting in-state foe Eastern Michigan in its first home series March 26-28. The Broncos will stay at home the following weekend for a showdown with Akron before traveling to South Bend for a midweek battle with Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 6. WMU defeated the Fighting Irish 12-2 in their last meeting back on April 10, 2019.

Following its meeting with Notre Dame the Broncos travel to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami (April 9-11) before opening up a six-game homestand on Friday, April 16 against SIU-Edwardsville. WMU then hosts Bowling Green (April 23-25) prior to back-to-back MAC road series against Toledo and Northern Illinois.

Rounding out the season WMU hosts in-state rival and 2019 MAC Tournament Champion Central Michigan, May 14-16 before traveling to Kent State May 21-23.  Western Michigan concludes the 2021 campaign with a four-game series at home against Ohio, May 28-30.

The NCAA Regionals are set to take place June 4-6 followed by the NCAA Super Regionals the following weekend June 11-14. The 2021 College World Series is set for June 19-30 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Prior to the 2020 season begin canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Broncos had an overall record of 9-6 with victories over Southern California, Northeastern, Army and St. Bonaventure. WMU returns a potent offense from a year ago, ranking 12th in the NCAA at 8.6 runs scored per game.