PROVO -- With fierce competition in its sights, the BYU softball team announced its 2009 schedule, which includes 11 NCAA Tournament teams from the 2008 season.
“Our pre-conference schedule is filled with great tests and challenges with many storied softball programs we will face ranging from many top-25 teams to Women’s College World Series competitor Alabama,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “We think our program is among those teams and that we will perform well.”
The Cougars announced one of their most competitive schedules, which includes only 14 home games, in the wake of their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. After falling to Georgia in the Chapel Hill Regional Championship, the Cougars finished the season 44-20.
Of the 11 NCAA Tournament teams set for the 2009 schedule, BYU will face eight teams at neutral sites including Washington, Tennessee, Michigan, Louisville, Texas, California, Hofstra and Alabama. The Cougars will face Long Beach State and Fresno State at the opponent’s home stadiums, while they face Mountain West Conference-foe San Diego State both at home and on the road during conference play.
For the third-consecutive season BYU will open its schedule by hosting the BYU/UVU Red Desert Classic in St. George, on Feb. 5. The tournament is highlighted with games against top-25 teams Tennessee and Washington.
BYU will continue tournament play with 33-straight games on the road before the home opener on March 24 against Boise State. The Cougars will host the BYU March Invite on March 27-28 before opening their conference schedule on April 2 at Colorado State.
After finishing the 2008 season second in the MWC, BYU will fight for a title with 15 conference games to finish out the season. The conference format changed from a 20-game schedule to a 15 game schedule, with each team facing off against one another three times.
“With only 15 games and no more doubleheaders, our conference games will be more of an event,” Eakin said. “The conference will be very competitive and any team could step up and become the team to beat. It will be a great year for the conference from top to bottom.”
The Cougars’ full 2009 schedule is available at www.byucougars.com/softball/ as is the 2008 fall schedule, which includes six remaining home games.