WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Five home weekends at Alexander Field highlight Purdue baseball's unique 2021 conference-only schedule announced by the Big Ten Conference on Wednesday.
The 44-game schedule is slated to run from March 5 through Memorial Day Weekend. All games will be played as part of Friday-Saturday-Sunday weekend series. However, Mondays will remain an option if agreed upon by both teams and as a backup in case of weather.
The Boilermakers will host Rutgers (March 26-28), Iowa (April 2-4), Illinois (April 23-25) and Northwestern (May 7-9) as part of traditional three-game weekend series. Minnesota and Penn State also visit Alexander Field from May 28 to 30 for a three-team pod weekend in which each squad is scheduled to play four games.
Purdue also plays in consecutive pod weekends in mid-April. The Boilermakers are slated to play Michigan State and Penn State the weekend of April 9 to 11 in East Lansing. The following weekend, Illinois and Michigan State are on the schedule in Champaign.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
• Home: 16 Games – Rutgers (3), Iowa (3), Illinois (3), Northwestern (3), Penn State (2), Minnesota (2)
• Road: 16 Games – Indiana (3), Michigan State (2), Illinois (2), Ohio State (3), Maryland (3), Minnesota (3)
• Neutral: 12 Games – Nebraska (4), Michigan (4), Penn State (2), Michigan State (2)
Purdue opens its season with neutral-site series vs. Nebraska (March 5-7 in Round Rock, Texas) and Michigan (March 12-14 in Greenville, S.C.). Both weekends are scheduled to be four-game sets at Minor League Baseball stadiums. The Boilermakers will be the designated home team vs. Nebraska at Dell Diamond and the designated visiting team vs. Michigan at Fluor Stadium. Saturday doubleheaders are expected to feature a nine-inning game and a seven-inning game.
The rest of the schedule features traditional three-game road series at Indiana (March 19-21), Ohio State (April 30-May 2), Maryland (May 14-16) and Minnesota (May 21-23).
Purdue has not played at Michigan State since May 2015. Illinois has not visited Alexander Field since April 2017 and has played just that one series in West Lafayette since Alexander opened in March 2013.
Coincidentally, Minnesota and Penn State also played a series against each other at Alexander Field in April 2018 due to heavy snowfall in the Minneapolis area.
Located 30 miles north of Austin, Dell Diamond is the home of the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Fluor Stadium in South Carolina's largest city is the home of the Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Purdue has not played at an MiLB stadium since 2018 when the Boilermakers went a combined 6-1 at San Antonio's Nelson Wolff Stadium and Penn State's Medlar Field.
An official policy regarding attendance at Alexander Field is still pending, but it is expected to be limited to family members of players and coaches. More information about the schedule to follow…
EARLY NEUTRAL SITE WEEKENDS
• March 5-7 in Round Rock: Purdue vs. Nebraska, Iowa vs. Michigan
• March 5-7 in Minneapolis: Minnesota hosts Indiana & Rutgers inside U.S. Bank Stadium
• March 5-7 in Greenville: Illinois vs. Ohio State, Maryland vs. Michigan State
• March 12-14 in Greenville: Purdue vs. Michigan, Northwestern vs. Michigan State
• March 12-14 in Minneapolis: Minnesota vs. Illinois, Iowa-Nebraska-Ohio State pod inside U.S. Bank Stadium
The 44-game schedule is slated to run from March 5 through Memorial Day Weekend. All games will be played as part of Friday-Saturday-Sunday weekend series. However, Mondays will remain an option if agreed upon by both teams and as a backup in case of weather.
The Boilermakers will host Rutgers (March 26-28), Iowa (April 2-4), Illinois (April 23-25) and Northwestern (May 7-9) as part of traditional three-game weekend series. Minnesota and Penn State also visit Alexander Field from May 28 to 30 for a three-team pod weekend in which each squad is scheduled to play four games.
Purdue also plays in consecutive pod weekends in mid-April. The Boilermakers are slated to play Michigan State and Penn State the weekend of April 9 to 11 in East Lansing. The following weekend, Illinois and Michigan State are on the schedule in Champaign.
SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
• Home: 16 Games – Rutgers (3), Iowa (3), Illinois (3), Northwestern (3), Penn State (2), Minnesota (2)
• Road: 16 Games – Indiana (3), Michigan State (2), Illinois (2), Ohio State (3), Maryland (3), Minnesota (3)
• Neutral: 12 Games – Nebraska (4), Michigan (4), Penn State (2), Michigan State (2)
Purdue opens its season with neutral-site series vs. Nebraska (March 5-7 in Round Rock, Texas) and Michigan (March 12-14 in Greenville, S.C.). Both weekends are scheduled to be four-game sets at Minor League Baseball stadiums. The Boilermakers will be the designated home team vs. Nebraska at Dell Diamond and the designated visiting team vs. Michigan at Fluor Stadium. Saturday doubleheaders are expected to feature a nine-inning game and a seven-inning game.
The rest of the schedule features traditional three-game road series at Indiana (March 19-21), Ohio State (April 30-May 2), Maryland (May 14-16) and Minnesota (May 21-23).
Purdue has not played at Michigan State since May 2015. Illinois has not visited Alexander Field since April 2017 and has played just that one series in West Lafayette since Alexander opened in March 2013.
Coincidentally, Minnesota and Penn State also played a series against each other at Alexander Field in April 2018 due to heavy snowfall in the Minneapolis area.
Located 30 miles north of Austin, Dell Diamond is the home of the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Fluor Stadium in South Carolina's largest city is the home of the Greenville Drive, the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Purdue has not played at an MiLB stadium since 2018 when the Boilermakers went a combined 6-1 at San Antonio's Nelson Wolff Stadium and Penn State's Medlar Field.
An official policy regarding attendance at Alexander Field is still pending, but it is expected to be limited to family members of players and coaches. More information about the schedule to follow…
| PURDUE BASEBALL'S 2021 SCHEDULE | |||
| Dates | Opponent(s) | Games | Location |
| March 5-7 | vs. Nebraska | 4 | Round Rock, Texas |
| March 12-14 | vs. Michigan | 4 | Greenville, S.C. |
| March 19-21 | at Indiana | 3 | Bloomington, Ind. |
| March 26-28 | Rutgers | 3 | Alexander Field |
| April 2-4 | Iowa | 3 | Alexander Field |
| April 9-11 | at Michigan State vs. Penn State |
4 | East Lansing, Mich. |
| April 16-18 | at Illinois vs. Michigan State |
4 | Champaign, Ill. |
| April 23-25 | Illinois | 3 | Alexander Field |
| April 30-May 2 | at Ohio State | 3 | Columbus, Ohio |
| May 7-9 | Northwestern | 3 | Alexander Field |
| May 14-16 | at Maryland | 3 | College Park, Md. |
| May 21-23 | at Minnesota | 3 | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| May 28-30 | Penn State Minnesota |
4 | Alexander Field |
EARLY NEUTRAL SITE WEEKENDS
• March 5-7 in Round Rock: Purdue vs. Nebraska, Iowa vs. Michigan
• March 5-7 in Minneapolis: Minnesota hosts Indiana & Rutgers inside U.S. Bank Stadium
• March 5-7 in Greenville: Illinois vs. Ohio State, Maryland vs. Michigan State
• March 12-14 in Greenville: Purdue vs. Michigan, Northwestern vs. Michigan State
• March 12-14 in Minneapolis: Minnesota vs. Illinois, Iowa-Nebraska-Ohio State pod inside U.S. Bank Stadium