Indiana Softball Announces 2019 Schedule
11/7/2018 12:11:00 PM | Softball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Softball announced the 2019 slate on Wednesday, highlighted by 17 home games and capped with hosting the Big Ten Tournament.
The Hoosiers will play a total of 55 games, with 17 of those coming against 2018 NCAA Tournament participants and nine games against teams who finished the season ranked or receiving votes in the final USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll of the year. In addition, Indiana will play 14 games against teams who finished in the top 50 of the 2018 NCAA RPI.
"We put together a schedule that will test us in the non-conference portion to prepare us for Big Ten play," said head coach Shonda Stanton, who is entering her second season at the helm of the Hoosiers. "We will travel to some great tournaments to open the season then are excited to get home and play in front of our fans, who were outstanding last season. The opportunity to host the Big Ten Tournament is one we are very much looking forward to and we are ready to see what Team 46 can do."
Indiana will begin the 2019 campaign on Feb. 8 in Boca Raton, Fla. for a tournament hosted by Florida Atlantic University. On opening day, the Hoosiers will face Virginia and 2018 NCAA Regional participant Bethune Cookman. IU will then play a Georgia team that advanced to the 2018 Women's College World Series before rounding out the weekend against FAU and St. John's.
The following weekend sees the Hoosiers head to Durham, N.C. for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, hosted by Duke. IU will play a pair of games against both the Blue Devils and Syracuse.
On Feb. 22, IU travels south to Macon, Ga. to participate in the Black and Orange Challenge hosted by Mercer. There, the Hoosiers are slated for a pair of games against both Loyola Chicago and Akron, as well as a single meeting against host Mercer.
Indiana will again head south the following weekend for the Purple and Gold Challenge hosted by LSU. IU will face Stephen F. Austin and NCAA Super Regionals participant LSU on Friday, before finishing the weekend with a single game against USC Upstate and two meetings with Illinois State.
Play at Andy Mohr Field will begin March 5 as the Hoosiers host in-state rival Butler for a single meeting.
IU will embark on a spring break trip on March 8, as the Hoosiers play in the USF Tournament in Tampa, Fla. Indiana will battle Seton Hall, St. Joe's, USC Upstate, Furman and 2018 Regionals participant USF. From there, IU will head to Ft. Myers for a Tuesday showdown at Florida Gulf Coast.
Indiana returns home the weekend of March 15-17 to host the annual Hoosier Classic. IU will face Toledo before four games against 2018 NCAA Tournament participants in Ohio (twice), Northwestern and Saint Francis. Indiana's game against the Wildcats will not count as a conference meeting.
IU's final non-conference game will come March 26 at Louisville.
The Hoosiers open Big Ten action March 22-24 at Ohio State, who advanced to Regionals last season. Other Big Ten road battles include NCAA Regional participants Michigan (April 5-7) and Wisconsin (April 19-21), as well as a visit to State College, Pa. to face Penn State (May 3-5).
The home conference slate includes Michigan State (March 29-March 31), Purdue (DH on April 10), Maryland (April 12-14) and Rutgers (April 26-28).
For the first time in program history, the Hoosiers will play host to the Big Ten Tournament, which begins on May 9 and runs until May 11.
The Hoosiers will play a total of 55 games, with 17 of those coming against 2018 NCAA Tournament participants and nine games against teams who finished the season ranked or receiving votes in the final USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll of the year. In addition, Indiana will play 14 games against teams who finished in the top 50 of the 2018 NCAA RPI.
"We put together a schedule that will test us in the non-conference portion to prepare us for Big Ten play," said head coach Shonda Stanton, who is entering her second season at the helm of the Hoosiers. "We will travel to some great tournaments to open the season then are excited to get home and play in front of our fans, who were outstanding last season. The opportunity to host the Big Ten Tournament is one we are very much looking forward to and we are ready to see what Team 46 can do."
Indiana will begin the 2019 campaign on Feb. 8 in Boca Raton, Fla. for a tournament hosted by Florida Atlantic University. On opening day, the Hoosiers will face Virginia and 2018 NCAA Regional participant Bethune Cookman. IU will then play a Georgia team that advanced to the 2018 Women's College World Series before rounding out the weekend against FAU and St. John's.
The following weekend sees the Hoosiers head to Durham, N.C. for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, hosted by Duke. IU will play a pair of games against both the Blue Devils and Syracuse.
On Feb. 22, IU travels south to Macon, Ga. to participate in the Black and Orange Challenge hosted by Mercer. There, the Hoosiers are slated for a pair of games against both Loyola Chicago and Akron, as well as a single meeting against host Mercer.
Indiana will again head south the following weekend for the Purple and Gold Challenge hosted by LSU. IU will face Stephen F. Austin and NCAA Super Regionals participant LSU on Friday, before finishing the weekend with a single game against USC Upstate and two meetings with Illinois State.
Play at Andy Mohr Field will begin March 5 as the Hoosiers host in-state rival Butler for a single meeting.
IU will embark on a spring break trip on March 8, as the Hoosiers play in the USF Tournament in Tampa, Fla. Indiana will battle Seton Hall, St. Joe's, USC Upstate, Furman and 2018 Regionals participant USF. From there, IU will head to Ft. Myers for a Tuesday showdown at Florida Gulf Coast.
Indiana returns home the weekend of March 15-17 to host the annual Hoosier Classic. IU will face Toledo before four games against 2018 NCAA Tournament participants in Ohio (twice), Northwestern and Saint Francis. Indiana's game against the Wildcats will not count as a conference meeting.
IU's final non-conference game will come March 26 at Louisville.
The Hoosiers open Big Ten action March 22-24 at Ohio State, who advanced to Regionals last season. Other Big Ten road battles include NCAA Regional participants Michigan (April 5-7) and Wisconsin (April 19-21), as well as a visit to State College, Pa. to face Penn State (May 3-5).
The home conference slate includes Michigan State (March 29-March 31), Purdue (DH on April 10), Maryland (April 12-14) and Rutgers (April 26-28).
For the first time in program history, the Hoosiers will play host to the Big Ten Tournament, which begins on May 9 and runs until May 11.
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