Rutgers Softball Announces 2012 Spring Schedule
Nov 15 | Softball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (November 15, 2011) – The Rutgers softball team released its 2012 schedule, as announced by head coach Jay Nelson on Monday. The Scarlet Knights look to battle through a tough slate to reach their third-consecutive BIG EAST Tournament, for the first time since joining the league in 1996.
The RU schedule features 12 NCAA participants from a season ago, as the Scarlet Knights travel to five regular season tournaments.
“We are extremely pleased with our 2012 schedule,” Nelson said. “It is made up of early season games where we travel to warmer climates in order to play competition which will help us compete at the demanding BIG EAST Conference level.”
Rutgers opens its season at the Louisiana Lafayette Tournament on Feb. 10-12. RU takes on a pair of 2011 NCAA Tournament teams in the campaign’s opener in host Ragin’ Cajuns and Tulsa. The Scarlet Knights will meet Mississippi Valley State (Feb. 11) for the first of two meetings on the weekend, in addition to a second meeting with Louisiana Lafayette.
February continues with the Texas State Tournament (Feb. 17-19) in San Marcos, Texas. RU will face host Texas State (twice), Dayton, Texas Arlington, and Texas Southern
Rutgers spends three days at the University of Georgia Tournament (Mar. 2-4), where it will face Ohio, Mercer, Cleveland State, Minnesota and 2011 Super Region qualifier Georgia.
The Scarlet Knights conclude regular season tournament action with a pair of events in South Florida for the Under Armour Invitational Tournaments during spring break (Mar. 9-11, 16-18). In the first invitational, RU will face three opponents who earned berths to last season’s NCAA Tournament in Western Michigan, Fordham and Penn State. Rutgers will also see Wisconsin Green Bay and Northern Iowa.
The pair of tournaments will be sandwiched by single games against Long Island (Mar. 13) and the Netherlands National Team (Mar. 14). Spring break concludes with matchups against UNC Wilmington, Florida Gulf Coast, Colgate, Northern Colorado and 2011 NCAA Tournament participant Florida State.
“It is important that we play as many games as possible in the limited time allotted prior to our conference opener,” said Nelson. “With that in mind we added in an extra game with the Netherland National Team during our Spring Break trip in South Florida.”
The Scarlet Knights will open BIG EAST play on the road with three games at USF (Mar. 24-25), following by a midweek doubleheader against Seton Hall.
“All of the teams in the BIG EAST are extremely competitive especially,” Nelson said. “The last place team is very capable of beating the first place team, so no game is ever easy.”
Rutgers returns to Piscataway for its home-opener versus Georgetown on Mar. 31. RU commences April with the third game of its series against the Hoyas on the first.
The squad will have an early break from conference action on April 3, when it hosts Hofstra for a doubleheader. RU jumps back on the road from a three-game series against 2011 NCAA Tournament competitor Louisville.
Rutgers comes back to the RU Softball Complex for a doubleheader with Notre Dame (April 11) and three games with Villanova (April 14-15).
The team begins a seven-game roadtrip with two games against Stony Brook (April 17), followed by a three-game series with conference foe Syracuse (April 21-22). Rutgers takes another break from BIG EAST action with a doubleheader at Iona (April 25), before wrapping up league play and the month of April with a three-game home series versus St. John’s on the 28th and 29th.
RU concludes its regular season hosting a nonconference opponent for the first time in three years, with a doubleheader against Lafayette on May 1st.
“Our team is very excited about our schedule and looks forward to beginning our season a week earlier than usual,” said Nelson. “The schedule features some of the most elite teams in all of Division I softball and we believe that it has the competitive mix to help us earn a birth to our third-consecutive BIG EAST Championship Tournament for the first time in the history of the program.”
The Scarlet Knights return 11 letterwinners from a squad that averaged 1.71 stolen bases (23rd nationally), 1.43 doubles per game (28th nationally), 5.35 runs per game (39th nationally) and posted a batting average of .302 (35th nationally).
Date Opponent Time
February
Louisiana Lafayette
Fri. 10 Tulsa/Louisiana Lafayette Noon/2:30 p.m.
Sat. 11 Mississippi Valley St./Louisiana Lafayette 11 a.m./1:30 p.m.
Sun. 12 Mississippi Valley St. 10:30 a.m.
Texas State
Fri. 17 Texas State/ Dayton 6:30 p.m./9 p.m.
Sat. 18 Texas Arlington/Texas Southern 6:30 p.m./9 p.m.
Sun. 19 Texas State 1 p.m.
March
University of Georgia
Fri. 2 Ohio 5 p.m.
Sat. 3 Mercer/Cleveland State 3 p.m./5 p.m.
Sun. 4 Minnesota/Georgia 9 a.m./1 p.m.
Clearwater Florida
Fri. 9 Wisconsin-Green Bay/Western Michigan 11:30 a.m./2 p.m.
Sat. 10 Fordham/Central Connecticut 9:15 a.m./11:30 a.m.
Sun. 11 Penn State 9 a.m.
Tue. 13 Long Island TBA
Wed. 14 Netherlands National Team Noon
USF
Fri. 16 UNC Wilmington/Florida Gulf Coast 2:15 p.m./4:30 p.m.
Sat. 17 Colgate/Northern Colorado 9 a.m./11:15 a.m.
Sun. 18 Florida State 11:15 a.m.
Sat. 24 USF* 2 p.m. (DH)
Sun. 25 USF* 1 p.m.
Wed. 28 Seton Hall* 3 p.m. (DH)
Sat. 31 GEORGETOWN* Noon (DH)
April
Sun. 1 GEORGETOWN* Noon
Tue. 3 HOFSTRA 2 p.m. (DH)
Fri. 6 Louisville* Noon (DH)
Sat. 7 Louisville* Noon
Wed. 11 NOTRE DAME* Noon (DH)
Sat. 14 VILLANOVA* Noon (DH)
Sun. 15 VILLANOVA* Noon
Tue. 17 Stony Brook 2 p.m. (DH)
Sat. 21 Syracuse* Noon (DH)
Sun. 22 Syracuse* Noon
Wed. 25 Iona 2:30 p.m. (DH)
Sat. 28 ST. JOHN’S* Noon (DH)
Sun. 29 ST. JOHN’S* Noon
May
Tue. 1 LAFAYETTE 2:30 p.m. (DH)
Thurs.-Sat 9-13 BIG EAST Tournament @ Notre Dame
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