Marshall University Athletics
Softball Releases 2012 Schedule
11/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Nov. 30, 2011
Full 2012 Schedule
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. - Marshall Softball released it's 2012 schedule Wednesday, which features eight teams that were a part of the NCAA tournament last season.
The 2012 schedule features a variety of teams and conferences. In total the Herd will face teams from 14 different conferences, plus one independent team. Included are opponents from the ACC, Big East, Atlantic 10, Missouri Valley, and Mid-American conferences.
This season, seven seniors will lead the Herd on the field and head coach Shonda Stanton believes their experience will help bring Marshall back to the top, "This group of seniors won 30 plus games as freshmen and we look forward to them leading the way back to the top of C-USA"
The Herd will start it's season in Conway, S.C. on February 10 when they will face Georgia Southern. The Kickin' Chicken Classic will see Marshall also face George Mason, George Washington, and host Coastal Carolina. The five game slate will run from February 10-12.
Following the season opening event, Stanton will lead her team to Charleston, S.C. for the College of Charleston Classic, February 17-19. The Herd will play a total of five games against Charleston Southern, Kennesaw State, Akron, Morehead State, and host College of Charleston.
The third weekend of action will take the Herd to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., to partake in the Citrus Classic. Held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, Marshall will face two teams from the 2011 NCAA tournament in Maryland and Florida State. Big East member St. Johns will also be an opponent for the Herd as will Army and Southern Illinois. Action in Orlando will run from February 24-26.
Dot Hicks Field will welcome back the Thundering Herd for the annual Marshall Invitational and the squad's home opener. Kent State, IPFW, and Bucknell will participate in the event that runs March 2-4. During last season's invitational, Marshall and Kent State played an epic four-and-a-half hour game that saw the Herd prevail 17-16 in nine innings.
Marshall's C-USA slate once again will prove to be the most challenging part of the season as five teams from the conference made it to the NCAA tourney last season. Houston, Memphis, UAB, Tulsa, and East Carolina were all in the postseason last year.
"With 15 upperclassmen this team understands what it will take this season to be successful and the daily grind in the conference, so we will rely heavily on their veteran experience and leadership." Said Stanton, "The great thing is that all we need is each of them to show up and put in a good day's work each and every day and we will be prepared come Feb. 10th."
The Thundering Herd will get to welcome Houston to the Dot in the first conference match-up of the year. The Cougars, which advanced to the super-regionals, will come to Huntington March 10-11.
Another NCAA participant from 2011 awaits the Herd the following weekend as they travel to the state of Tennessee to face off with the Memphis Tigers March 17-18. Marshall will stay in the state during the university's spring break and play a doubleheader versus Lipscomb on March 19 and a single game against Belmont March 20.
The remainder of the C-USA slate will feature UAB, Tulsa, and UCF at home with road contests at UTEP, Southern Miss, and East Carolina.
During conference play, Marshall will step out and play multiple non-conference games against Chattanooga (2011 NCAA tournament participant), Ohio, Morehead State, Longwood, and Wright State.
Stanton and her staff were happy from the results and support during Marshall's fall ball slate and are looking for that to carry on into the spring, "We are really pleased with the results from fall ball and look forward to having our fans see us play at Dot Hicks Field. With just under half of our games at home, it will be important that we play well on the road and that is where our experienced team will be valuable."
The 2012 Conference USA tournament will be hosted by UAB in Birmingham, Alabama beginning May 10.
