Softball Releases 2011 Schedule
9/23/2010 7:40:00 PM | Softball
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Georgia Southern Softball program announced its schedule for the 2011 season on Thursday, September 23. The schedule, which begins at Eagle Field on February 12, features seven teams which competed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
"We are excited to begin the season with three weekends of tough non-conference competition in preparation for a conference schedule that gets stronger each year," Head Coach Maggie Johnson said.
The Eagles open the season at home on Feb. 12 and 13 against Mercer and a Radford team which posted a 2-2 record in the Athens Regional last season. The Eagles will face Mercer on Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by a game against Radford. Sunday will see Georgia Southern against Radford at 11 a.m., followed by a game against Mercer.
After a pair of games at Georgia State on Feb. 16, the Eagles will take part in two tough tournaments, both hosted by teams in the 2010 NCAA Tournament Field. Georgia Southern will spend the second weekend of the season in Tallahassee, Fla., in the Garnet and Gold Tournament, hosted by Florida State.
The tournament field consists of the Seminoles, who went 1-2 in the Athens Regional last season, Kentucky, who went 1-2 in the Columbus, Ohio Regional, and Middle Tennessee State.
Georgia Southern will then compete in the War Eagle Classic, hosted by Auburn, Feb. 25-27. The Tigers advanced to the Atlanta Regional in 2010, going 1-2. Also competing in the War Eagle Classic will be Belmont, Marshall, Middle Tennessee State and Murray State.
The Eagles open Southern Conference play at home with a three-game series against Appalachian State on March 12 and 13, following a mid-week doubleheader against Mercer at Eagle Field on March 9.
A mid-week trip to Atlanta, Ga., pits the Eagles against 2010 NCAA Regional host Georgia Tech for a doubleheader on March 15. The trip is also the first of four straight road trips for the Eagles.
Georgia Southern's first SoCon series on the road comes against Western Carolina in Cullowhee, N.C., on March 19 and 20, followed by a mid-week doubleheader against North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., on March 23. The Eagles wrap up the road trip against College of Charleston on March 26 and 27.
The Eagles return home for a doubleheader against Jacksonville University on March 29, and then take on Samford in Statesboro on April 2 and 3. After a doubleheader against Kennesaw State at home on April 5, Georgia Southern travels to Elon, N.C., to take on 2010 Southern Conference champion and Athens Regional participant Elon.
Georgia Southern will play host to Furman on April 16 and 17 and UNC Greensboro on April 22 and 23, before wrapping up the regular season at Chattanooga on April 30 and May 1. The Eagles conclude non-conference play on April 20 with a game against 2010 NCAA Regional host Georgia in Athens, Ga. The Bulldogs went 2-2 in the 2010 Women's College World Series.
The Eagles will play host to the 2011 Southern Conference Tournament May 11-14 at Eagle Field. The tournament field will consist of all nine schools, after the 2010 tournament was played with a four team format.
