University of Massachusets Athletics
Softball Releases 2008 Schedule
October 11, 2007 | Softball
Oct. 11, 2007
AMHERST, Mass. -- At least nine postseason teams from a year ago highlight the 2008 UMass Softball Schedule which was released by head coach Elaine Sortino Thursday. The Minutewomen will play three 2007 Women's College World Series participants in defending champion Arizona, DePaul and Texas A&M, two teams that advanced to Super Regional play (Michigan and South Carolina) and an additional four teams that played in a NCAA Regional (UCLA, Fresno State, Florida State and Mississippi State).
"This is by far the toughest schedule that we have ever taken on," said Sortino. "With at least nine teams from last year's NCAA Tournament, three World Series teams and the defending national champion we will get a feel for where we stand very early on. This schedule should put us in a good place both on the field and RPI wise as we prepare for the challenging conference season."
The Minutewomen begin the year at the Dunkin Donuts Classic in Boca Raton, Fla., Feb. 8-10. There, they will face 2007 Super Regional participant Michigan in the season opener as well as Maryland, North Florida and another Super Regional team from a year ago, South Carolina. After a week off, UMass heads west for one of the premier collegiate tournaments in the country, the Palm Springs Softball Classic, Feb. 22-24. The Minutewomen will face UNLV and UCLA on the first day before setting up a showdown against defending national champion Arizona. The Minutewomen are also slated to play Fresno State and Michigan State in the California desert.
UMass returns east and gets right back to action Feb. 29-March 2 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. The Minutewomen will play Florida State, DePaul, Texas A&M, Auburn and Mississippi State down there. After another week off, the Minutewomen conclude their early season schedule by participating in the USF Under Armour Classic in Clearwater, Fla. The schedule for that tournament has not been finalized yet, but UMass will stay down an extra day and play a doubleheader against South Florida on Monday, March 17.
The Minutewomen open the A-10 play with four quick road games as they will take on Fordham on March 20 and then La Salle March 22. The home opener at the UMass Softball Complex is set for Wednesday, March 26 against Dartmouth. That will give UMass fans a chance to see the new permanent seating and chairback seating at the UMass Softball Complex.
Follow www.umassathletics.com all through the fall for updates on the UMass Softball Complex construction as well as any schedule updates and ticket pricing information. Information on seat naming opportunities will also be available in the coming weeks.
