The Texas Wesleyan football team just released the 2019 schedule.

The season will include four back-to-back away games (Aug. 31 against Kansas Wesleyan; Sept. 7 against Houston Baptist; Sept. 21 against Ottawa University Arizona; and Sept. 28 against Lyon College in Arkansas) and the Rams playing their first Division 1 opponent, Houston Baptist, according to ramsports.net.

The Rams’ opener is at home on Aug. 24 against Southwestern College; the bye week is Sept. 14. The Rams were 2-8 in 2018.

Head coach Joe Prud’homme wrote in an email that the schedule will be difficult and a challenge for the team.

“There is nothing easy about our schedule, but if we perform well and get some road wins then we will be in good shape down the stretch,” he wrote.

Prud’homme wrote that Texas College on Oct. 19 will also be a tough game, as the Steers have a lot of returning players. The game, at Farrington Field, is the Wesleyan homecoming.

“Texas College has the majority of their team back and will be fired up and well prepared, but so will we,” he said.

Prud’homme wrote that there are no new teams on the schedule with the exception of Houston Baptist.

“Houston Baptist is the only new team and they will be a major challenge for us, especially on the road,” he wrote. “They will be our first D1 team to play.”

Prud’homme wrote that it really comes down to the offseason and the work that is put in there.

“We have to stay healthy, have a great summer, and have several of our guys grow up fast in order to perform the way we want to,” he wrote.

Prud’homme wrote that it is more about what the team does to prepare and not so much about the opponents.

“In my mind, it’s not what the opponents bring and where they play, it’s more about how much we improve and mature as a team to get where we want to be,” he wrote.

Safety De’Marcus Nixon, a sophomore business management major, said that he feels confident about the upcoming season.

“I really feel great about it, it’s actually a great schedule for the new guys that haven’t had experience to travel and room with teammates,” he said. “I really feel special about this year. It’s actually good and it’s going to test us, see where we’re at together and how we worked in the spring. You’re going to see some special things out of this Wesleyan team.”

Quarterback Justin Arth, a sophomore business administration major, said that seeing the upcoming schedule is great.

“It’s exciting, I mean we prepare for this and I always love football season,” he said. “To prepare for it and be able to actually play the game that we all love and hopefully win some football games is always exciting.

Arth said that playing Houston Baptist will be a personal game for him.

“The D1 team that we are playing makes the game very personal for me that’s one of the schools that recruited me before I came here,” he said. “If I’m blessed enough to get on the field and play, I’m going to prove people wrong.

“It’s a true test, I mean every season has its own tests and challenges, that just happens to be the one that we have this year. I feel like the team’s going to do a pretty good job to fight through that and hopefully come out of that 4-0.”

The Rams’ Blue and Gold Game is 2 p.m. April 27 at Farrington Field. For more information on Rams football, go to ramsports.net.