University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Softball Unveils 2010 Schedule
December 09, 2009 | Softball
Dec. 9, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. - UMass softball head coach Elaine Sortino has announced the 21-time Atlantic 10 champion Minutewomen's 2010 season schedule. Coming off a 42-10 season in which it made its 15th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and finished with a No. 14 national ranking, UMass will face a challenging 51-game schedule in 2010 against competition from across the country. The Minutewomen will host 16 games at the UMass Softball Complex in addition to hosting the Atlantic 10 Championship.
As always, Sortino's squad will take on several national powers. Eight games (seven teams) will come against NCAA Tournament teams from 2009, including one Women's College World Series team (Missouri). Two of UMass' opponents were ranked in the final NFCA poll (No. 8 Missouri and No. 25 Louisiana) and two others receiving votes (San Diego State and Long Beach State).
The Minutewomen will take part in four tournaments to start the season. The season opens in Miami, Fla. for the FIU Combat Classic on Feb. 12-14. There the Minutewomen will face Providence, NC State, Illinois-Chicago, Southern Illinois, and the host Florida International. After an off weekend, UMass will then head to Columbus, Ga. for the annual NFCA Leadoff Classic Feb. 26-28. There it will play Mississippi State, NC State, Illinois State, Missouri, and Louisiana. The following weekend, March 5-7, it is on to Clearwater, Fla. for the USF Under Armour Invitational where UMass has games against Tennessee-Chattanooga, Loyola Chicago, Virginia Tech, USF, and Robert Morris. The Minutewomen's final early season tournament will be the San Diego Classic II in San Diego, Calif. on March 18-21. UMass will take on Kansas, San Diego State, Illinois-Chicago, University of San Diego, Texas A&M, Oregon State, and Long Beach State.
UMass begins Atlantic 10 play on March 28 with a doubleheader at George Washington before returning to Amherst for the home-opener at the UMass Softball Complex on March 30 in doubleheader against Dartmouth at 2 p.m. After a five-game round trip at La Salle, Fordham, and Boston College, the Minutewomen return home for games against Boston University (4/7) and Charlotte (4/9-10).
The team plays six out of seven games on the road between April 13 and April 24, hosting Quinnipiac on the 20th. Then the Minutewomen settle into the UMass Softball Complex to finish the regular season with a 10-game homestand from April 27 through May 9 with games against Rhode Island, UConn, Dayton, Boston College, Temple, and Saint Joseph's.
The Minutewomen will then remain home as they are hosting 2010 Atlantic 10 Championship, where they will look to defend their title for the sixth-straight year.
NCAA Regionals will be held on May 12-15 at campus sites, as will the Super Regionals, to be held the following weekend. The 2010 Women's College World Series will be played May 27-June 2 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
