FLORENCE, Ala. -- The University of North Alabama baseball team is set to face a rugged 55-game schedule in 2019 comprised entirely of NCAA Division I opponents as the Lions enter their first season in Division I and the ASUN Conference.

The ASUN Conference is a nine-member league that includes schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia. The UNA schedule includes eight ASUN Conference three-game series for a total of 24 conference games.

League members are Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Lipscomb, New Jersey Institute of Technology, North Florida and Stetson.

UNA's non-conference schedule is formidable as well and includes road games at SEC members Alabama, Ole Miss and Auburn.

In all there are 24 different schools on UNA's 2019 schedule. Of those, nine will be first-time opponents for the Lions. UNA will be renewing rivalries with the other 15, facing many of them for the first time since the 1990s.

"Obviously this is a very challenging schedule," said UNA head baseball coach Mike Keehn, who is set to begin his 11th year as a head coach of the Lions and 31st season in the North Alabama baseball program. "It was very important for us to play a strong Division I schedule and we were fortunate to get teams that wanted to play us, including some very talented regional teams and some SEC teams.

"In looking at the move to Division I we also looked at being able to renew old rivarlies and we have that to start the season as we play Jacksonville State, Tennessee-Martin and Troy in the first few weekends of the season," Keehn added. "Our players will also have the chance to play at some great facilities."

The new schools on UNA's 2019 schedule are The Citadel, Davidson, Stetson, Liberty, Jacksonville, North Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, NJIT and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Other non-conference opponents for the Lions include Jacksonville State, Samford, Tennessee-Martin, Troy, Butler, Tennessee Tech, Alabama State, Memphis, Alabama A&M and Belmont.

UNA posted a 31-20 record in 2018 in its final season in Division II and the Gulf South Conference. The Lions return four starters and 15 lettermen from that team, led by three-year starters Peyton Sockwell at shortstop and Davis Elliott at second base. The list of returnees includes seven position players and eight pitchers.

The Division I era of UNA baseball begins on February 15 with a three-game road series at Jacksonville State. The Lions and Gamecocks will play single games on February 15-17 at JSU's new Rudy Abbot Field at Jim Case Stadium. It will be the first meeting between the two schools on a baseball field since 1993.

The following weekend the Lions open their home schedule with a three-game series against Tennessee-Martin on February 22-24 at Mike Lane Field. UNA will have just 19 home dates in 2019 with non-conference games against Butler, Tennessee Tech, Alabama State and Alabama A&M.

UNA will play 12 of its first 15 games on the road and 18 of its first 23 contests away from home and 36 total road games.

In addition to renewing the rivalry with Jacksonville State, the Lions will also be playing several other other Division I schools that have not been on the UNA schedule in quite a while in  Alabama (2008), Alabama State (1987), Auburn (1976), Belmont (1997), Butler (1999), Kennesaw State (1999), Lipscomb (1999), Memphis (1993), Ole Miss (1992), Samford (1991), Tennessee-Martin (1999), Tennessee Tech (1988) and Troy (1993).

Included in the road schedule are a pair of games in Tuscaloosa against the University of Alabama on February 26-27. It will be the first of four total contests agaist SEC schools as the Lions play at Ole Miss on April 2 and at Auburn on May 14.

The Lions open ASUN Conference play on the road on March 22 at Kennesaw State. The Lions are eligible to compete for the conference championship immediately but UNA is not eligible to advance to NCAA post-season play during its four
years as an NCAA transitional school.

In regards to the ASUN Conference portion of the schedule, Keehn said the league is one of the best in the nation.

"Last year the ASUN's RPI was seventh in the nation, ranking only behind the Power Five Conferences and one other league," Keehn said. "It is a very established baseball conference and will be a tremendous challenge for us."

UNA's ASUN home opener is on March 29 against Stetson. The Lions' other home conference series are against Liberty, North Florida, and New Jersey Tech (NJIT). In addition to a trip to Kennesaw State, UNA's other road conference trips are to Jacksonville, Florida Gulf Coast and Lipscomb.

The season concludes at the 2019 ASUN Conference Tournament on May 22-25 at Melching Field at Conrad Park in DeLand, Fla.

ASUN members Jacksonville and Stetson both earned spots in the 2018 NCAA Baseball Tournament with Stetson advancing to the Super Regional before falling to North Carolina.