Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Alexander Sorenson
Softball Announces 2024 Schedule
12/7/2023 4:47:00 PM | Softball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State softball's 2024 schedule was announced by second-year head coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley on Thursday. MSU will face nine teams that appeared in an NCAA Regional last season, and two of which that advanced to Super Regionals.
The Spartans open the 2024 season in Boca Raton, Florida at the Paradise Classic on Feb. 9-11. Hosted by Florida Atlantic, Michigan State will take on Ohio, Marshall (x2), Arkansas and host FAU for five games over three days. Arkansas finished the 2023 season ranked as the No. 13 team in the country. FAU has been a staple on the Spartan schedule since 1997, with the two sides having met 29 times in the last 26 years.
MSU stays on the road the following week, Feb. 16-18, at the Maverick Invitational hosted by Texas at Arlington. While in Arlington the Spartans will meet DePaul, Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), UTA and Boise State (x2) for another five-game weekend. It'll be the first-ever meeting against UMKC.
Michigan State concludes February and opens March with a spring break trip through the Carolinas, starting in Durham N.C. on Feb. 23-25 and wrapping up in Conway, S.C. on March 1-3. MSU will begin the trip at the Duke Invitational where it'll face Elon (x2), Boston, Villanova and Duke. It's the third consecutive season that Elon has appeared on the Spartan softball schedule. Duke advanced to Super Regionals last season and Boston earned its spot at a NCAA Regional after winning the Patriot League tournament.
Between its two lengthier stops on the trip, Michigan State will play at Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C. on Feb. 27 and in Wilmington, N.C. against UNC-Wilmington on Feb. 28. Campbell advanced to a third-straight NCAA Regional last season after winning the Big South Tournament. MSU's coaching staff has many ties to both Campbell and the state of North Carolina. McDonald-Kelley was the head coach at Campbell from 2019-2022 and assistant coach Danielle Stenger coached alongside McDonald-Kelley all four seasons. Assistant coach Destini England played for McDonald-Kelley at Campbell from 2020-21. New to the staff this season, assistant coach Bethaney Wells coached at UNC-Greensboro for seven seasons.
Spring break concludes in Conway, S.C. at the Chanticleer Showdown hosted by Coastal Carolina on March 1-3. There the Spartans will take on Iona (x2), Coastal Carolina, Yale and Oakland. It'll be the first-ever meeting between MSU and Iona, and the first of two season meetings between the Spartans and Oakland, who will return to see Michigan State in East Lansing on May 1.
MSU returns to the Palmetto State on March 15-17, playing at the Garnet & Black Invitational in Columbia, S.C. hosted by South Carolina. Playing four times in three days, the Spartans take on South Carolina, NC State, Boston and Minnesota. MSU's game against Minnesota is a non-conference match-up and will not count towards the B1G standings. South Carolina, Boston and Minnesota each played in an NCAA Regional in 2023.
Michigan State's final tune-up before B1G play commences will be March 19 against Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. The Fighting Irish were an NCAA Regional team last season.
The Spartans kick off their first of seven B1G conference series on the road at 2023 B1G Champion Northwestern on March 22-24. Northwestern advanced to an NCAA Super Regional last season and were ranked No. 16 in the final USA Softball poll. Michigan State remains on the road the following weekend, March 28-30, taking on Iowa and traveling to Iowa City for the first time since 2014.
MSU's first home B1G series is against Indiana on April 5-7 when the Spartans welcome their final 2023 NCAA Tournament team of the season. The Spartans will remain at Secchia Stadium for a pair of single mid-week contests against Michigan on April 9 and Western Michigan on April 10.
Michigan State is back on the road to take on Penn State on April 12-14. The Spartans have not played in State College since 2018. That series is followed up by the second half of the season series with Michigan as MSU will play in Ann Arbor on April 16.
The Spartans are at home back-to-back weekends on April 19-21 and April 26-28, facing Illinois and Rutgers. MSU wraps up regular season competition at Purdue on May 3-5 in the final tune-up prior to the B1G Tournament.
The Spartans open the 2024 season in Boca Raton, Florida at the Paradise Classic on Feb. 9-11. Hosted by Florida Atlantic, Michigan State will take on Ohio, Marshall (x2), Arkansas and host FAU for five games over three days. Arkansas finished the 2023 season ranked as the No. 13 team in the country. FAU has been a staple on the Spartan schedule since 1997, with the two sides having met 29 times in the last 26 years.
MSU stays on the road the following week, Feb. 16-18, at the Maverick Invitational hosted by Texas at Arlington. While in Arlington the Spartans will meet DePaul, Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), UTA and Boise State (x2) for another five-game weekend. It'll be the first-ever meeting against UMKC.
Michigan State concludes February and opens March with a spring break trip through the Carolinas, starting in Durham N.C. on Feb. 23-25 and wrapping up in Conway, S.C. on March 1-3. MSU will begin the trip at the Duke Invitational where it'll face Elon (x2), Boston, Villanova and Duke. It's the third consecutive season that Elon has appeared on the Spartan softball schedule. Duke advanced to Super Regionals last season and Boston earned its spot at a NCAA Regional after winning the Patriot League tournament.
Between its two lengthier stops on the trip, Michigan State will play at Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C. on Feb. 27 and in Wilmington, N.C. against UNC-Wilmington on Feb. 28. Campbell advanced to a third-straight NCAA Regional last season after winning the Big South Tournament. MSU's coaching staff has many ties to both Campbell and the state of North Carolina. McDonald-Kelley was the head coach at Campbell from 2019-2022 and assistant coach Danielle Stenger coached alongside McDonald-Kelley all four seasons. Assistant coach Destini England played for McDonald-Kelley at Campbell from 2020-21. New to the staff this season, assistant coach Bethaney Wells coached at UNC-Greensboro for seven seasons.
Spring break concludes in Conway, S.C. at the Chanticleer Showdown hosted by Coastal Carolina on March 1-3. There the Spartans will take on Iona (x2), Coastal Carolina, Yale and Oakland. It'll be the first-ever meeting between MSU and Iona, and the first of two season meetings between the Spartans and Oakland, who will return to see Michigan State in East Lansing on May 1.
MSU returns to the Palmetto State on March 15-17, playing at the Garnet & Black Invitational in Columbia, S.C. hosted by South Carolina. Playing four times in three days, the Spartans take on South Carolina, NC State, Boston and Minnesota. MSU's game against Minnesota is a non-conference match-up and will not count towards the B1G standings. South Carolina, Boston and Minnesota each played in an NCAA Regional in 2023.
Michigan State's final tune-up before B1G play commences will be March 19 against Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. The Fighting Irish were an NCAA Regional team last season.
The Spartans kick off their first of seven B1G conference series on the road at 2023 B1G Champion Northwestern on March 22-24. Northwestern advanced to an NCAA Super Regional last season and were ranked No. 16 in the final USA Softball poll. Michigan State remains on the road the following weekend, March 28-30, taking on Iowa and traveling to Iowa City for the first time since 2014.
MSU's first home B1G series is against Indiana on April 5-7 when the Spartans welcome their final 2023 NCAA Tournament team of the season. The Spartans will remain at Secchia Stadium for a pair of single mid-week contests against Michigan on April 9 and Western Michigan on April 10.
Michigan State is back on the road to take on Penn State on April 12-14. The Spartans have not played in State College since 2018. That series is followed up by the second half of the season series with Michigan as MSU will play in Ann Arbor on April 16.
The Spartans are at home back-to-back weekends on April 19-21 and April 26-28, facing Illinois and Rutgers. MSU wraps up regular season competition at Purdue on May 3-5 in the final tune-up prior to the B1G Tournament.
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