Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Announce 2007 Schedule
12/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Dec. 19, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Fresh off its first NCAA Tournament appearance in six seasons, the Indiana softball team announced its 2007 schedule on Dec. 20. The schedule is highlighted by a 12-game home slate, a 10-day spring break trip to Florida and the IU Classic, a three-day tournament in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers will take on 13 teams that made the NCAA Division I Softball Championships (University of South Florida, Michigan, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Massachusetts, Southern Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio State, Princeton, LSU, Iowa, Long Island and Penn State), including five that advanced to the round of 16 and the national runner-up Northwestern.
Six of IU's opponents this season closed the year ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Top-25 poll. Northwestern (No. 2), Michigan (No. 10), LSU (No. 11), Louisville (No. 17), South Florida (18) and UMass (No. 24) all earned recognition in the season's final rankings.
Indiana head coach Stacey Phillips believes the ambitious non-conference schedule along with the challenging Big Ten slate will pay dividends for the Hoosiers late in the season.
"You try to schedule so that come time for conference and post-season play you are ready to play at that level, and I think that's what we have tried to do this year," Phillips said. "The early games are critical, and they will be important in our development. With our schedule, I think we will see a lot of these teams again late in the season. We have nine players who have not seen the NCAA Tournament yet. In order to make sure they are ready to play at that level, we need to have that kind of competition early on."
Indiana kicks off the 2007 campaign at the University of Houston's Crowne Plaza Classic, Feb. 16-18. The Hoosiers open with Centenary and Southern Illinois on the tournament's opening day followed by games with LSU and host Houston the next day. IU rounds out the five-game skid with McNeese State on the 18th.
The Hoosiers travel to Carbondale, Ill., for the Kay Brechtelsbauer Southern Classic. Indiana will meet Western Illinois and Ohio University on March 3, before taking on in-state foe Ball State and host Southern Illinois the following day.
IU heads to the sunshine state for a 10-day spring break trip, March 8-18. The Hoosiers begin the trip at the adidas Invitational in Clearwater, Fla. IU will take on back-to-back NCAA Tournament teams in Georgia Tech and Massachusetts on the first day, followed by UIC and Northern Illinois the following day. On March 10, Indiana will take on Tennessee Tech before rounding out the tournament with bracket play.
The Hoosiers continue their stay in Florida at the USF Spring Break Tournament, March 13-14. Indiana opens with George Mason and Quinnipiac before closing the tournament with Long Island and South Florida.
IU closes its spring break trip at the Speedline Invitational, March 16-18. The Hoosiers begin competition with Buffalo and Princeton, before taking on Boston University the second day. Indiana will cap the three-day event with bracket play to determine a champion.
The Hoosiers make their home debut as they host the annual IU Classic, March 23-25, at the IU Softball Field. Indiana will take on UIC for the second time in the season before closing the opening day with Eastern Michigan. IU opens up the second day with Buffalo, before bracket play opens for the remainder of the second day and the third day.
Indiana returns to the road to take on Ball State on March 28 for the second time in Muncie, Ind., before returning home to kick off the Big Ten slate with a two-game series verses Iowa on March 30 and 31st. The Hoosiers stay in Bloomington to host their first doubleheader of the season against Illinois on April 1.
IU takes a one-game break from the conference schedule to battle with boarder-rival Louisville on April 4 in Louisville in preparation for the national runner-up Northwestern Wildcats in a doubleheader on April 8 at the IU Softball Field. The Hoosiers turn around and welcome in-state foe Indiana State two days later on April 10.
Following IU's three-game home stand, the Hoosiers head North and continue with Big Ten play. Indiana will take on Wisconsin on April 13-14, before traveling to Minneapolis to face the Golden Gophers in a doubleheader on April 15. IU rounds out its five-game road swing at Evansville on April 17.
The Hoosiers make their way back to Bloomington for one of the toughest weekends of the season as they host Michigan State on April 20-21, before taking on perennial-power Michigan in a doubleheader on April 22.
IU caps the non-conference slate with a doubleheader against border-rival Kentucky on April 25 in Lexington. The matchup with the Wildcats kicks off a seven-game road trip.
Indiana then makes its way to University Park, Pa., to take on Penn State on April 27-28, before stopping off at Ohio State on April 29 for a sixth and final doubleheader of the season on April 29.
The Hoosiers close the regular season with a one-and-one series against Big Ten and in-state rival Purdue. IU opens the series in West Lafayette, Ind., on May 5 before wrapping up the regular season at home against the Boilermakers the following day.
IU will open post-season play at the Big Ten Tournament, May10-12. The conference tournament will be played at the site of the regular-season champion. The NCAA Regionals follow the Big Ten Tournament on May 17-20.
Visit IUHOOSIERS.com for times and locations of all of Indiana's 2007 games.
| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time / Result |
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| 02/16/07 | vs. Centenary College | Houston, Texas | 9:00 a.m. |
| | vs. Southern Illinois | Houston, Texas | 11:00 a.m. |
| 02/17/07 | vs. LSU | Houston, Texas | 11:00 a.m. |
| | vs. Houston | Houston, Texas | 3:30 p.m. |
| 02/18/07 | vs. Mcneese State | Houston, Texas | 9:00 a.m. |
| 03/03/07 | vs. Western Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 4:00 p.m. |
| | vs. Ohio | Carbondale, Ill. | 6:00 p.m. |
| 03/04/07 | vs. Ball State | Carbondale, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. |
| | vs. Southern Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 5:00 p.m. |
| 03/08/07 | vs. Georgia Tech | Clearwater, Fla. | 11:00 a.m. |
| | vs. UMass | Clearwater, Fla. | 4:00 p.m. |
| 03/09/07 | vs. Illinois-Chicago | Clearwater, Fla. | 11:00 a.m. |
| | vs. Northern Illinois | Clearwater, Fla. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 03/10/07 | vs. Tennessee Tech | Clearwater, Fla. | 11:00 a.m. |
| 03/11/07 | adidas Invitational/TBD | Clearwater, Fla. | TBA |
| 03/13/07 | vs. George Mason | Tampa, Fla. | 9:30 a.m. |
| | vs. Quinnipiac | Tampa, Fla. | 1:30 p.m. |
| 03/14/07 | vs. LIU | Tampa, Fla. | 11:00 a.m. |
| | vs. USF | Tampa, Fla. | 4:00 p.m. |
| 03/16/07 | vs. Buffalo | Tampa, Fla. | 10:00 a.m. |
| | vs. Princeton | Tampa, Fla. | 12:30 p.m. |
| 03/17/07 | vs. Boston University | Tampa, Fla. | 10:00 a.m. |
| 03/18/07 | Speedline Invitational/TBA | Tampa, Fla. | TBA |
| 03/23/07 | vs. Illinois-Chicago | Bloomington, Ind. | 12:00 p.m. |
| | vs. Eastern Michigan | Bloomington, Ind. | 2:00 p.m. |
| 03/24/07 | vs. Buffalo | Bloomington, Ind. | 12:00 p.m. |
| 03/25/07 | IU Classic/TBA | Bloomington, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/28/07 | at Ball State | Muncie, Ind. | 3:00 p.m. |
| 03/30/07 | vs. Iowa | Bloomington, Ind. | 3:00 p.m. |
| 03/31/07 | vs. Iowa | Bloomington, Ind. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 04/01/07 | vs. Illinois | Bloomington, Ind. | 12:00 p.m. |
| | vs. Illinois | Bloomington, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/04/07 | at Louisville | Louisville, Ky. | 5:00 p.m. |
| 04/08/07 | vs. Northwestern | Bloomington, Ind. | 12:00 p.m. |
| | vs. Northwestern | Bloomington, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/10/07 | vs. Indiana State | Bloomington, Ind. | 4:00 p.m. |
| 04/13/07 | at Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | 6:00 p.m. |
| 04/14/07 | at Wisconsin | Madison, Wis. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 04/15/07 | at Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minn. | 12:00 p.m. |
| | at Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minn. | TBA |
| 04/17/07 | at Evansville | Evansville, Ind. | 5:00 p.m. |
| 04/20/07 | vs. Michigan State | Bloomington, Ind. | 4:00 p.m. |
| 04/21/07 | vs. Michigan State | Bloomington, Ind. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 04/22/07 | vs. Michigan | Bloomington, Ind. | 12:00 p.m. |
| | vs. Michigan | Bloomington, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/25/07 | at Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. | 4:00 p.m. |
| | at Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. | TBA |
| 04/27/07 | at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | 6:00 p.m. |
| 04/28/07 | at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | 12:00 p.m. |
| 04/29/07 | at Ohio State | Columbus, Ohio | 12:00 p.m. |
| | at Ohio State | Columbus, Ohio | TBA |
| 05/05/07 | at Purdue | West Lafayette, Ind. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 05/06/07 | vs. Purdue | Bloomington, Ind. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 05/10/07 | Big Ten Tournament | TBD | TBA |
| 05/11/07 | Big Ten Tournament | TBD | TBA |
| 05/12/07 | Big Ten Tournament | TBD | TBA |
| 05/17/07 | NCAA Regional | TBD | TBA |
| 05/18/07 | NCAA Regional | TBD | TBA |
| 05/19/07 | NCAA Regional | TBD | TBA |
| 05/20/07 | NCAA Regional | TBD | TBA |
