The 2010 NDSU softball team’s schedule is highlighted by playing four teams that advanced to the NCAA Division I tournament and hosting the Summit League Championship tournament, May 14-15.
NDSU opens the season with five straight tournaments including Arizona State’s Kajikawa Classic on Feb. 12-14 in Phoenix. The Bison play three teams that advanced to the NCAA tournament last year including Portland State, Arizona and Purdue.
Trips are scheduled to the University of South Florida tournament on Feb. 19-21, University of California Santa Barbara’s Gaucho Classic on Feb. 25-27, the Colorado State Classic on March 12-14 and doubleheaders at Houston on March 16 and Sam Houston State on March 17 as part of the rugged non-league schedule. Texas A&M is the other team that advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2009.
“We feel we put a challenging schedule together this season,” said NDSU head coach Darren Mueller, who led the Bison to the 2009 NCAA Norman Regional and Summit League championships. NDSU finished the 2009 season with a 38-20 record overall, ranked 18th in the final ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and 21st in the final USA Today/NFCA poll.
NDSU opens Summit League play at Centenary on March 19-20 and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis on March 26-27 before starting a nine-date, 14-game regular season home schedule on April 3-4 with Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne at the Ellig Sports Complex.
The Bison, who are 13-2 in Fargo in the past two seasons, also are scheduled to host South Dakota on April 6, Western Illinois on April 16-17, Southern Utah on April 23-24 and University of Missouri-Kansas City on April 30 through May 1. The four-team Summit League tournament is scheduled for May 14-15 at the Ellig Sports Complex.
NDSU’s schedule includes 12 first-time opponents including the University of California, Santa Barbara; California State University, Northridge; Hofstra University; University of Houston; Michigan State University; North Carolina State University; Ohio University; Purdue University; Sam Houston State University; Texas A&M University; Utah State University and Wright State University.