Softball Announces 2016 Schedule
11/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss softball head coach Wendy Hogue announced the team's 2016 schedule. The 55-game schedule includes 26 games at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. In addition, Southern Miss will play 19 games against 11 different teams that played in NCAA Regionals last season.
"The goal of this year's nonconference schedule is to prepare us for the rigorous Conference USA slate we will face," Hogue said. "We look forward to the challenge that World Series teams such as Baylor, Louisiana-Lafayette, LSU, and Alabama will bring to the table. In-state rivals Ole Miss and Mississippi State are always great games and the yearly contests with South Alabama are some of our most exciting games as well.
"We are playing a great schedule and are pleased that all nonconference games are within driving distance for so many of our faithful fans."
Southern Miss begins the 2016 campaign at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala. The Golden Eagles open the season with three games against teams that competed in the 2015 NCAA Regionals. The Black and Gold square off against NCAA Regional teams Florida A&M (Feb. 12), Central Arkansas (Feb. 12) and Ball State (Feb. 13) to begin the season. Southern Miss concludes the tournament with Belmont (Feb. 13) and Lipscomb (Feb. 14).
The Golden Eagles host Alabama State in a doubleheader at the Softball Complex to open up the 2016 home campaign on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
The softball team hits the road for the Mardi Gras Invitational the following weekend in Mobile, hosted by South Alabama. USM opens the tournament with Samford (Feb. 20) and Mississippi State (Feb. 20) before squaring off against SIU-Edwardsville (Feb. 21) and tournament-host South Alabama (Feb. 21).
On Wednesday, Feb. 24, the Golden Eagles return home to host Ole Miss in a doubleheader.
The following weekend, the team heads to Gulfport for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Softball Classic. In the Gulf Coast Classic, Southern Miss will take on Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 26) before taking on NCAA Regional regular Baylor (Feb. 26). The Black and Gold round out the tournament with McNeese State (Feb. 27), Nicholls (Feb. 27) and Incarnate Word (Feb. 28).
Southern Miss hosts the next six games on the slate. The homestand begins with a doubleheader against Alcorn State on Wednesday, March 2. The Golden Eagles play host to nationally-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette in a three-game weekend series on March 5-6, before closing out the home stretch with a single game against Southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday, March 8.
The Golden Eagles open Conference USA play on the road with a three-game set at Middle Tennessee (March 12-13).
USM returns home to face NCAA Regional participant South Alabama on Wednesday, March 16 before hosting UAB in the Golden Eagles' C-USA home opener the weekend of March 19-20.
Four of the next five games are on the road. Southern Miss travels to south Florida for a three-game conference series with Florida Atlantic (March 25-26). The Golden Eagles host McNeese State in a midweek tilt on Tuesday, March 29 before returning to the road for a single game with Mississippi Valley State (March 30.
Southern Miss opens up April with a three-game set against defending C-USA Champions Western Kentucky on Saturday-Sunday, April 2-3.
The Golden Eagles travel to Baton Rouge for a match-up with Women's College World Series participant LSU on Wednesday, April 6.
Following the trip to LSU, the team heads to San Antonio, Texas for a three-game conference match-up with UTSA (April 9-10).
Southern Miss returns home for four games, beginning with a midweek nonconference game with WCWS participant Alabama on Tuesday, April 12. The Golden Eagles then play host to North Texas in Conference USA play on April 16-17.
The Golden Eagles travel to Starkville, Miss. for a nonconference game with Mississippi State (April 19) before closing out the nonconference slate with a home game on Wednesday, April 27 against ULM.
The Black and Gold travel to Louisiana Tech (April 30-May 1) before concluding the regular season at home with a three-game Conference USA series with UTEP on Saturday-Sunday, May 7-8.
The Conference USA Championship will be held in Denton, Texas on the campus of North Texas beginning on Wednesday, May 11 with the championship game taking place on Saturday, May 14.