Syracuse Softball Unveils 2008 Schedule
11/1/2007 2:47:37 PM | Softball
View 2008 Schedule
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Second-year Syracuse head coach Leigh Ross released the 2008 Orange softball schedule on Thursday, Nov. 1. Syracuse will face nine opponents that finished in the NCAA Regionals or better in 2007 with two teams advancing to the Women’s College World Series. Three teams finished in the Top 25 of the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.
“The schedule we put together is a tough one,” said associate head coach Kyle Jamieson. “We’re going away five weekends to three bigger tournaments and two smaller tournaments. We’ll play teams from the Big 12, Big 10, ACC and SEC, which can only make us stronger and prepare us for the BIG EAST. Our coaching philosophy has always been you have to play the best to improve.”
The first pitch for the Orange will be thrown on Friday, Feb. 15 when the team plays Centenary, which was 22-27 last year, at the Getterman Classic hosted by Baylor (Feb. 15-17). The Orange will face Centenary, Baylor and Purdue twice. Baylor, the defending Big 12 champions, ended last season with a 51-16 record, ranked eight and won the Region and the Super Region en route to its first Women’s College World Series appearance. Purdue finished 33-32-1 and lost in the Big 10 semifinals to Ohio State.
The next weekend Syracuse will participate in the Pirate Classic hosted by East Carolina in Greenville, N.C. (Feb. 22-29). The Orange will matchup with East Carolina, Appalachian State and Purdue once again.
SU then heads to the NFCA Leadoff in Columbus, Ga. (Feb. 29-Mar. 2) to battle Santa Barbara, North Carolina State, Mississippi State, Nebraska and Auburn – all five teams advanced to the NCAA Regionals a year ago. N.C. State finished last season ranked 25th in the country.
The Orange heads to the USF Invitational in Tampa, Fla. (Mar. 7-8) and then to the College of Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C. (Mar. 14-16) to wrap up preseason play.
BIG EAST competition begins with a doubleheader at Pittsburgh on Saturday, Mar. 22. The squad then steps out of the conference when it travels to Binghamton on Wednesday, Mar. 26 before traveling to Rutgers on Saturday, Mar. 29 and Villanova on Sunday, Mar. 30.
The doors open to the SU Softball Stadium on Wednesday, Apr. 2 when the Orange hosts Albany. Home doubleheaders against Providence (Saturday, Apr. 5), Connecticut (Sunday, Apr. 6) and Niagara (Tuesday, Apr. 8) follow.
Syracuse hits the road for a pair of BIG EAST doubleheaders when it travels to Louisville on Friday, Apr. 11 and to South Florida on Sunday, Apr. 13. Home contests follow when St. John’s comes to the south hill on Friday, Apr. 18 and Seton Hall comes on Sunday, Apr. 20.
The team then goes to Canisius on Thursday, Apr. 30 before finishing up the regular season at home with games against Buffalo on Wednesday, Apr. 30, DePaul on Saturday, May 2 and Notre Dame on Sunday, May 4.
The top eight teams in the BIG EAST will qualify for the league championship, which gets underway on Thursday, May 8. The championship will be hosted by Louisville at Ulmer Stadium.
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