Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State Softball Releases 2009 Schedule
10/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Oct. 27, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State University softball head coach Jacquie Joseph announced the schedule for the 2009 campaign today. The schedule will feature eight schools that reached the 2008 NCAA Division I Championship, including three teams that made it to the Super Regional championship games.
"This year's schedule is a little different than most in that we will be traveling to some new sites," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "I believe the schedule will sufficiently challenge our young team, while preparing us for the rigors of the Big Ten schedule."
The Spartans open the season with five out-of state tournaments, beginning with the Blue and Gold Felsberg Memorial Tournament in Miami, Fla. Michigan State begins the 2009 schedule on Feb. 13 against Florida Gulf Coast at 4 p.m., while also facing Florida International, St. Johns, Georgetown and Temple in its first trip to the Sunshine State.
MSU returns to Florida on Feb. 20 for the FGCU Spring Break Invitational in Fort Myers, Fla. The Spartans will open with a noon game against Bethune Cookman before facing DePaul, a 2008 NCAA Tournament participant at 4 p.m. Michigan State will also face Fairfield and Florida Gulf Coast in the tournament.
The Spartans return South on Feb. 28 for the Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Ala. MSU will face Samford at 11 a.m. before facing Pittsburgh at 4 p.m. The Spartans will also take on Northern Illinois and tournament host UAB.
Michigan State makes its final early season tournament trip to the South during Spring Break, visiting North and South Carolina for a total of 11 games in six days. The Spartans begin with the Tar Heel Invitational on March 7. Princeton and North Carolina, both participants in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, are the first two opponents for MSU. Georgetown and Elon will also face-off against the Green and White in Chapel Hill. The team will take a day off before traveling to Raleigh for a doubleheader with NC State and then moving on for a single game against UNC-Wilmington on March 11. The Spartans wrap-up their Spring Break trip in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with the Coastal Carolina tournament. Opponents include the host Chanticleers, Missouri and North Carolina.
Big Ten play begins on March 21 with the Spartans traveling to Columbus, Ohio, for two games with the Buckeyes. The debut of the recently renovated Old College Field is set for Tuesday, March 24 at 4 p.m. against Western Michigan. MSU will return to action the following day, hosting Detroit-Mercy in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
The Green and White then face four-straight Big Ten opponents, beginning with a road trip to Champaign, Ill. for two games against the Illini starting on March 28. The Spartans return to Illinois for a mid-week doubleheader on April 1 with Northwestern before returning home for games against Purdue on March 8 and Indiana on March 11-12. Both Northwestern and Purdue were 2008 NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
After two single games with Bowling Green and Central Michigan, MSU hits the road for a two-day series with Iowa beginning on April 18. The Spartans then return to East Lansing for a doubleheader with Oakland on April 22 before turning their focus to wrapping up Big Ten play.
Michigan State begins the final stretch of the regular season on April 25 with a two-day series in Minneapolis against the Gophers. Conference rival Penn State travels to MSU for a doubleheader on April 29 beginning at 3 p.m., and Wisconsin starts a two-day trip on May 2 in Michigan. The Green and White conclude the regular season with a home-and-home series against Michigan, as the Big Ten Tournament will not be held this year. On Friday, May 8 the Spartans will travel to Ann Arbor for a 6 p.m. game before the Wolverines return to East Lansing for a 1 p.m. match-up the following day. It will be the last home game for Michigan State's three seniors, Megan Hair, Gina Mondo and Kara Weigle.
