Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Softball announces 2012 schedule
11/02/2011 | 12:00:00 | Softball
Nov. 2, 2011
By Megan Kramper
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The SIU softball team has announced its 2012 schedule, which includes a slate of 56 games including five non-conference tournaments and playing host to the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
"I feel like we've got a really competitive schedule again and we as we are finding out our opponent we know we are going to play some big name talent with good RPI, which is what we always strive to do," Head coach Kerri Blaylock said, who begins her 13th season with the Salukis.
The Salukis will again face some tough competition as they face eight teams who had RPI's in the top 100 and five teams who made the NCAA Tournament in 2011.
The season kicks off with five straight tournaments beginning Feb. 11-13, as the Salukis participate in the Kennesaw State Classic in Woodstock, Ga. followed by the Jacksonville State Invitational in Jacksonville, Ala. (Feb.17-19), Citrus Classic in Orlando, Fla. (Feb. 24-26), hosting the Coach B Classic in Carbondale, Ill. (Mar. 3-4), and the Malihni Kipa Aloha in Honolulu, Hawaii (Mar. 9-11).
"A reward trip we try to do every four years is to go to Hawaii and we will face great competition out there too." Blaylock said.
Tournament opponent highlights include facing three teams who made the NCAA Tournament including Florida State, Jacksonville State, and Maryland.
For the seventh year in a row and 26th time in school history, the Salukis will host the Coach B Classic at Charlotte West Stadium, named after legendary coach Kay Brechtelsbauer. Western Illinois, Northern Illinois, Wright State, and SIU-Edwardsville are all scheduled to compete in the two-day tournament Mar. 3-4.
SIU also faces eight teams - FSU, Wisconsin, Eastern Illinois, Miami (OH), Drake, Kennesaw State, Illinois State, and Mercer - who all had RPI's in the top 100 in the 2012 season.
"We feel the preseason competition will be really competitive heading into conference action," Blaylock said.
The Salukis begin their Missouri Valley Conference slate with a trip to Wichita, Kan, to face the Shockers Mar. 17-18. Other road conference series include conference tournament winner Missouri State (Apr. 14-15), Drake (Apr. 21-22), a single game at Evansville (Apr. 24), and Bradley (May 5-6).
They host a slate of 16 games at Charlotte West Stadium including conference series against Creighton (Mar. 24-25), Illinois State, who earned an at-large birth to the NCAA tournament (Mar. 31-Apr. 1), Indiana State (Apr. 6-7), a doubleheader against Evansville (Apr. 7), and senior day against Northern Iowa (Apr. 28-29). Non-conference opponents include Tennessee-Martin (Apr. 10), Eastern Illinois (Apr. 19), and SEMO (Apr. 25).
Non-conference series away from home include a doubleheader at Saint Louis (Apr. 4) and single games against SIUE (Mar. 31) and Illinois (May 2).
For the third time in the history of Charlotte West Stadium, the Salukis will be the host for the 2012 State Farm MVC Conference tournament on May 10-12. Previously, SIU played host in 2004 and 2008 while also hosting in 1991 back when the league was under the game of Gateway Conference. The 1991 season also marks the last time the Salukis won a conference tournament title.
"We are really excited to host again and we have gotten the opportunity to host about once every four or five years and we really thank the support staff at SIU for putting a bid in for us and allowing us to do that," Blaylock said.
The Salukis are coming off a 36-17 overall record in 2011 including a third place finish in the MVC with a 16-7 conference record. The 2012 season will officially kick off on Feb. 11 against Miami (OH) in the KSU Classic at 9:30 a.m. CT.
