On the heels of its first 30-win season since 2013, App State Baseball has announced its schedule for the 2024 season presented by Chick-fil-A.

Of the 53 games on the slate, 44 of them will be played in either North Carolina or a bordering state, including 19 home contests at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.

“We are excited about the opportunity to build on the success of last year and keep the momentum moving forward for our program,” head coach Kermit Smith said. “This schedule gives Mountaineer faithful a chance to see us play in several parts of the state prior to us jumping into Sun Belt play. Our loyal fans have made Jim & Bettie Smith Stadium a tough environment for opposing teams and we can’t wait to introduce them to this year’s club.”

Offensively, App State is highlighted by returning senior outfielders CJ Boyd and Xavier Moronta. Boyd was a first team All-Conference selection last season, tying the program’s single-season home run record, while Moronta led the team with a .444 on-base percentage, including a 20-game hitting streak. On the mound, App State returns right-handers Collin Welch and Jackson Steensma, who ranked first and second on the team in ERA respectively.

App State opens the regular season on Feb. 16 in Boiling Springs, N.C., as the Mountaineers begin a three-game series against Gardner-Webb.

After a mid-week road showdown with High Point on Feb. 20, the Mountaineers will host games in Hickory, N.C. for the third consecutive season as they welcome in Siena for a three-game set, Feb. 23-25.

The Black and Gold will close out the month of February by continuing a longstanding rivalry with ETSU on Feb. 27 in Johnson City, Tenn.

App State will then hit the road for the first three weeks of March, beginning in Carbondale, Ill., where they will face off with Southern Illinois March 3-5, in the first ever meetings between the two programs.

The Mountaineers will continue their road trip with matchups against Duke (March 5), Winthrop (March 8-10) and Queens (March 12) in Gastonia, N.C., before opening Sun Belt Conference play at Texas State (March 14-16).

App State will host five series against teams from the Sun Belt – which last year rated as the nation’s fifth-best baseball conference – at Smith Stadium in Boone, beginning with Coastal Carolina, March 22-24. The Mountaineers defeated the No. 8 Chanticleers last season in Conway, S.C., marking their highest ranked win since 2013.

The Mountaineers will also play host to Marshall (March 28-30), Troy (April 12-14), South Alabama (May 3-5) and Georgia Southern (May 16-18) in Sun Belt action. App State will take on James Madison (April 5-7), Arkansas State (April 19-21), Georgia State (April 26-28) and Old Dominion (May 10-12) in conference road tilts.

Additional mid-week matchups include home-and-home meetings with Queens, ETSU, High Point and UNC Asheville, along with trips to face Western Carolina in Cullowhee, N.C., April 16, and Wake Forest at Keener Stadium in Shelby, N.C., April 30.

Four of the Mountaineers’ 2024 opponents made an NCAA Regional appearance in 2023, while nine of their opponents finished the season ranked in the top 100 in the nation in RPI.

Prior to first pitch of the 2024 regular season, App State Baseball will host its annual banquet on Feb. 10. The program will honor the 1984 Southern Conference Championship team, as well as give attendees the opportunity to hear from Coach Smith and meet the 2024 squad. Registration information will be distributed in the coming weeks.

Ticketing information for the 2024 season will be announced at a later date.