SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Sweeney Era for USC Upstate baseball is here and has released its 2025 schedule. The journey begins on Friday, February 14, Valentine's Day, when the Spartans host ACC-opponent Boston College at Harley Park. Boston College, a team returning the majority of its roster from last season, will provide an early test for the Spartans.
 
"We want to come out and compete with anybody. That's a mentality we want to keep building here," said first-year head coach Kane Sweeney. "We want to be tested early, see where we are, and then adjust and build throughout the schedule, but it all starts there. I'm excited, our guys are ready, and we had a great fall with energy and buy-in from our veterans and newcomers."
 
The Spartans then co-host the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Tournament alongside Presbyterian College from February 21-23. The tournament will bring Bowling Green and LeMoyne to Spartanburg for a weekend of high-quality baseball.
 
"We are excited for the OneSpartanburg, Inc. Tournament," Sweeney said. "We have big plans for the event this year and in the coming years. I think it will become a premier college baseball tournament."
 
To close out February, the Spartans host a three-game series against UMass Lowell, adding to their competitive non-conference slate.
 
The Spartans kick off March with a marquee matchup at Fluor Field against in-state rival Clemson, offering players the opportunity to compete in a professional-grade ballpark against a Tiger team looking to avenge a 9-4 loss at the hands of the Spartans last April.
 
"That's a professional ballpark, which is an emphasis for us to get our team playing in venues like that because we are developing them to play there one day," said Sweeney.
 
USC Upstate hosts Troy in a weekend series before traveling to Florida for a significant road test against Stetson, a 40-win team and NCAA Tournament qualifier last season.
 
"That's a great opportunity for our guys to be on the road in a tough environment," Sweeney noted. "It's also a great bonding experience for the squad to bus to Florida and compete against a quality opponent. That's college baseball right there."
 
The Spartans return to the Palmetto State for their Big South Conference opener against Radford on March 14, capping a grueling stretch of eight games in nine days with nearly 1,000 miles of travel.
 
Other highlights of the non-conference schedule include home-and-home matchups with Wofford (three-game series) and Western Carolina and games against NC State, South Carolina, Georgia State, Tennessee Tech, and College of Charleston. 
 
"This is a great schedule with elite competition," Sweeney said. "We are building something special here and want to be competing with the best while developing our guys into the best version of themselves to hopefully play at the next level."
 
The Big South Conference Tournament is set for May 20-24 in High Point, NC, where the Spartans will look to compete for the NCAA automatic qualifier.