We are 22 days from the 2025 MTSU baseball season, so it’s time to look at the schedule for the Blue Raiders. It’s is a favorable draw, including a stretch in which 19 of the first 21 games will be played at Reese Smith Jr Field. But they still have to face a ranked non-conference foe and play in the gauntlet, which is CUSA. It’s difficult to predict the ’25 Blue Raiders, but let’s take a deeper dive at the schedule and how it’s laid out.

The Blue Raiders will start with a familiar face, the Bowling Green State Falcons, who will be MT's opening series for the second year in a row. Last season, Middle took two of three, which should be replicated in 2025. However, after that warmup, MTSU will play the Alabama Crimson Tide, which finished No. 28 in RPI for 2024 and could make its way into the top 25 soon.

Following that matchup, Middle Tennessee will play 17 straight games of Farleigh Dickinson, Austin Peay, UT-Martin, St. Bonaventure, Old Dominion, Oakland, Tennessee Tech, Belmont, UAB, and Southeast Missouri. That's a favorable stretch where MTSU should come out with 11+ wins.

The first 21 games allow them to tune things and build momentum, leading to conference play. However, with the number of early home games, the Blue Raiders will play most of their remaining contests on the road.

Middle Tennessee will still have home CUSA series' against FIU, LA Tech, Jax State, and Sam Houston.

While the draw leans in favor of MTSU, that doesn’t mean they escape without any tough opponents. The Blue Raiders will face No. 20 Dallas Baptist on the road for a three-game set and play a midweek against No. 16 Vanderbilt, who Middle hasn’t beaten since April 3, 2018.

They also must face top 100 RPI teams from last season in Alabama, Western Kentucky, Sam Houston, Kennesaw State, and Louisiana Tech.

Middle was not good against those teams a season ago, compiling a 3-13 record, but all teams have suffered roster turnover, and MTSU has done some retooling itself. Going .500 against the seven teams is a realistic expectation, but if certain pitching acquisitions pan out, MT could find itself with a winning record.

The 2025 schedule looks eerily similar to the previous one, where Middle Tennessee played a weak out-of-conference schedule but had to face multiple NCAA Tournament teams. CUSA may not be as top-heavy as a season ago, but top to bottom, it is one of the best conferences in college baseball. It will not be easy, but MTSU gets Kennesaw State, Sam Houston, LA Tech, and FIU at home with an easy out-of-conference slate is a recipe for success.

The offense reloaded with the additions of LF Keaton Ray (Walters State), C Tyler Minnick (Georgia Tech), SS Matt Wolfe (Vanderbilt), and 2B Cooper Clapp (Florida Southwest). The question of pitching persists, but the seven new arms bring a feeling that maybe the Blue Raiders have figured out the pitching woes.

It’s still exceptionally early due to no offseason scrimmages aside from multiple intrasquad games, but 2025 could be the first year Middle competes for a conference title since 2015. It’s tough to predict, with MTSU’s ceiling being a CUSA championship and the floor being another 20-34 record. But I’d label them a 31-24 team, a massive improvement from the last two years.