https://ucasports.com/news/2019/1/14/strong-home-slate-highlights-2019-schedule-for-uca-softball.aspxSTRONG HOME SLATE HIGHLIGHTS 2019 SCHEDULE FOR UCA SOFTBALL
CONWAY – The University of Central Arkansas head softball coach David Kuhn has formally announced his team's 2019 schedule. A loaded home slate with two separate non-conference tournaments and a pair of matchups against Southeastern Conference foes Ole Miss and Mississippi State at Farris Field highlight an action-packed spring for the Bears.
"We play 10 games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament or postseason play last season," said Kuhn. "That will certainly be a challenge for our team. We are excited about the season and look forward to the competition and I believe that playing good teams will help your program on and off the field."
UCA will open its campaign Feb. 8-9 with the
Southern Miss Tournament in Hattiesburg, Miss. The Bears will take on Southwestern Athletic Conference-rival
Jackson State twice in the two-day span, while also meeting up with host
Southern Mississippi and Ohio Valley Conference-representative
Tennessee Tech.
The Bears will
open play at Farris Field on Feb. 12 with a 6 pm contest against Lyon College. Shortly after the home opener, UCA will turn its attention to the
Madeira Beach Invitational for its second-straight appearance in the Sunshine State classic. From Feb. 15-17, the Bears will take on
George Mason, Monmouth, Ball State, Quinnipiac and South Dakota to cap off five games in the three-day span.
After arriving back from Florida, Farris Field will welcome the Bears for 11-straight at home. Central Arkansas is set to
host a doubleheader versus in-state opponent Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Feb. 19. A mere three days later,
University of Nebraska at Omaha, South Dakota State and North Alabama will all make their way to Conway, Feb. 22-24, for the Central Arkansas Invitational.
Softball powerhouse
Ole Miss will test the Bears at home on Feb. 27 before they host their second tournament of the year. The Bears will take on
Southeast Missouri and UAPB on March 1 to open the UCA Classic, followed by a 1:30 pm matinee against
Missouri State on March 2. Central Arkansas will conclude the three-day tournament with an 11:15 am showdown with
Coppin State.
"It is always great to play at the friendly confides of Farris Field," Kuhn said. "Playing at home gives you several advantages over playing on the road. I hope we can play well and get some wins. It certainly is always nice to get off to a good start."
The Bears hit the road to
take on Memphis in a mid-week matchup on March 5 before returning home to open Southland Conference play. Nicholls will be the opening opponent for UCA as the Colonels travel to Conway for a three-game set March 8-9.
Central Arkansas will once again step out of conference competition for a Power-5 showdown with Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. on March 13.
The Bearkats of Sam Houston State will be the next SLC challenge for UCA as they travel to Farris Field March 15-16. A pair of non-conference road tilts against the
University of Louisiana at Monroe on March 19 and Baylor March 20 will challenge the Bears as the full swing of conference action is set to follow.
The first weekend series on the road in SLC competition for UCA will take place in San Antonio, Texas on March 22-23 as the Bears square off with Incarnate Word.
Mississippi State will greet the Bears back in Conway on March 26 in the final non-conference home game of the season. A quick turnaround will pit UCA against Lamar in Beaumont, Texas to resume conference play March 29-30.
The last of 27 non-conference games will take place on April 3 as Central Arkansas travels to Mississippi Valley State for a 4 pm first pitch. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will be the next conference foe to visit Conway April 5-6. Six-straight on the road follow the three-game set with the Islanders as UCA travels to McNeese (April 12-13) and Southeastern Louisiana (April 19-20) for back-to-back road series in the league.
The final homestand is a three-game set with Houston Baptist April 26-27. Natchitoches, La. will be the Bears home away from for consecutive weeks as they conclude regular season play against Northwestern State May 3-4.
The annual Southland Conference Tournament Championship will also be held in Natchitoches May 7-10. The Bears have qualified for the tournament in seven-consecutive seasons and will look to improve on that number with a strong regular-season outing.
"We just try to focus on one game at a time," said Kuhn. "The Southland Conference is very competitive from top to bottom. We are proud of the fact that we are just one of two teams that have played in seven straight SLC Tournaments. I hope we can continue this streak and make it to the last day of the tournament. Once you get there, anything can happen."
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
