Photo by: Hardy Meredith | SFA Photography
Ladyjacks Unveil Complete Spring Schedule
12/21/2018 11:36:00 AM | Softball
SFA to play 10 national postseason teams from a year ago in 2019, face 12 programs who posted 30 or more wins in 2018
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The 2019 SFA softball schedule in its entirety was unveiled Friday morning as the Ladyjacks are set to take on a challenging slate of games this spring, traversing to Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Facing 10 teams who made a national postseason appearance a year ago, SFA will compete against 12 programs who posted at least 30 wins in 2018. Five of the Ladyjacks' 2019 opponents earned 40 or more victories last spring with SFA beginning the season on opening day Friday, Feb. 8, in Starkville, Mississippi.
"In 2019, we are on a mission as a team to have a special season," head coach Nicole Dickson said. "This is going to be one of the most competitive years in the Southland Conference. Our non-conference schedule is built not only to prepare us to compete at a high level and grind against a tough Southland slate, but our goal is to take our program to another level over the next several years. In order to do that, our young team has to gain experience right now."
"We have to be fearless," continued coach Dickson. "We have to compete. We have to grow our team, culture and expectations. People can look at our non-conference schedule and say it's tough, and it is. We see it as an opportunity to mentally and physically prepare our student-athletes to do special things this year and in the future."
The Ladyjacks will get things started in 2019 at Mississippi State's Bulldog Kickoff Classic with an opening day morning game against the Missouri Valley Conference's Valparaiso, before taking on the Bulldogs in a true road tilt for the nightcap. On Saturday, Feb. 9, SFA will face 2018 NCAA Championship qualifier Middle Tennessee and either Mississippi State, Valparaiso or Middle Tennessee once again. The Ladyjacks will see one of those three teams again Sunday, Feb. 10 for the final game of the tournament.
SFA's home opener will take place Wednesday, Feb. 13 when the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe visit the friendly confines of SFA Softball Field for a 3 p.m. first pitch. That weekend, the Ladyjacks will take part in their second-straight tournament at Louisiana-Lafayette's 33rd Annual Louisiana Classic (Feb. 15-17) in Lafayette, Louisiana. SFA will see the Ohio Valley Conference's Austin Peay and the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Jackson State Friday, Feb. 15, before facing the host Ragin' Cajuns Saturday, Feb. 16. Another matchup with either Austin Peay, Jackson State or Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday afternoon will proceed the Ladyjacks' final game at tournament Sunday, Feb. 17.
Returning to Nacogdoches for its second midweek contest of the season, SFA will host Texas Southern at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19. South Alabama's Mardi Gras Invitational awaits the Ladyjacks the following weekend (Feb. 22-24) with SFA playing the host Jaguars twice, the Big Ten Conference's Illinois and the Colonial Athletic Association's Hofstra in Mobile, Alabama. The Pride went 41-14 in 2018 and reached the NCAA championship, winning a game before being eliminated by a single run.
The Ladyjacks' final non-conference home affair will take place Tuesday, Feb. 26 when Prairie View A&M visits Texas' oldest town for a 3 p.m. first pitch. SFA will then wrap up its non-conference tournament play that weekend at LSU's Purple & Gold Challenge (March 1-3). Neutral-site bouts with Illinois State and Indiana will begin the Ladyjacks' play in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Friday, March 1. On Saturday, March 2, SFA will square off against USC Upstate, before culminating the tournament with pair of true road games against 2018 NCAA Super Regional qualifier LSU Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
Five midweek non-conference opponents are sprinkled throughout the Ladyjacks' Southland Conference portion of the spring, beginning with a trip to College Station Wednesday, March 20 for a 5 p.m. matchup with 2018 NCAA Super Regional qualifier Texas A&M. The Ladyjacks will also play non-conference road contests at Prairie View A&M (March 27), Baylor (April 2), Texas Southern (April 10) and Louisiana-Monroe (April 24).
"In conference play, we miss Nichols and Central Arkansas but have several long road trips to Incarnate Word, Abilene Christian and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi," commented coach Dickson. "It's going to be a grind. This year is wide open on who can win it, I'm excited for the talent in the Southland and the competitive excellence each program and staff are striving to reach. It is going to be a fun year."
SFA begins Southland play Friday and Saturday, March 8-9 with a trio of games at Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, Louisiana, before hosting reigning three-time Southland tournament champion McNeese (March 15-16) and Houston Baptist (March 22-23) the following two weekends.
The Ladyjacks will make their first lengthy league journey Friday and Saturday, March 29-30 with a three-game series against the Islanders in Corpus Christi, prior to welcoming Lamar to Nacogdoches the next weekend (April 5-6). For the second consecutive season SFA will travel to San Antonio for a series at UIW, this year Friday and Saturday, April 12-13. The Ladyjacks will remain away from home the following weekend (April 19-20), making their second distant road trip in as many weeks to face the Wildcats of Abilene Christian in Abilene.
A three-game set against Northwestern State will serve as SFA's final home contests of the season Friday and Saturday, April 26-27, before the Ladyjacks close out conference action at Sam Houston State in Huntsville (May 3-4). The 2019 Southland Softball Tournament will take place at Northwestern State's Lady Demon Diamond in Natchitoches, Louisiana, Tuesday-Friday, May 7-10.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Ladyjack softball leading up to the 2019 season.
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