MONROE, La. – First-year head coach
Molly Fichtner announced ULM softball's 54-game slate, which includes 18 home games and a seven-game homestand in March. 2019 will also mark the first year of ticket sales for the ULM softball program.
The 2019 schedule features four tournaments to open up the season. The Warhawks will be true "road warriors" as first year head coach Fichtner says, as they travel to Alabama, Texas, and Arkansas to compete in tournaments hosted by Alabama-Birmingham, Houston, Alabama, and Central Arkansas.
The Warhawks open up the season in Birmingham, Ala. at UAB's Blazer Bash, where ULM will also go toe-to-toe with Austin Peay and Wright State. "UAB and Austin Peay have new head coaches so it will fun watching those teams compete with new leadership," said Fichtner.
Following their trip to Birmingham, ULM will visit SFA in Nacogdoches, Texas for a mid-week non-conference match up. Afterwards, the Warhawks will travel to Houston for the Cougars' Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational. ULM will face Maryland and Nevada on Saturday (Feb. 16) and then Southland Conference opponent Nicholls State and host-team Houston on Sunday (Feb. 17).
"The Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational will be very competitive," Fichtner said. "Houston is a great place to play and I am looking forward to the challenge of competing with some of the best. Playing in tournaments like these against teams like Houston that finished in the top 40, really helps to get us in the right mindset for conference play later on in the season."
The Warhawks will also travel to Tuscaloosa for the Easton Bama Bash hosted by the University of Alabama. Fichtner says the tournament will be a "homecoming" of sorts, having played with the Crimson Tide for the final two seasons of her collegiate career under head coach Patrick Murphy. "Both Alabama and Minnesota finished in the top 25 last year, it's a welcomed challenge for us, and I'm excited to see how the team squares up against them as well as Missouri State. We've been practicing a lot on perfecting our defensive skills, which will be key in games against these power-five offenses."
The level of competition that ULM will face this season is admirable. In fact, throughout the season, ULM will face six teams that competed in 2018 regional tournaments: Houston, Minnesota, Alabama, McNeese, Texas State, and the Ragin' Cajuns.
For their final spring tournament, the Warhawks will head north to Conway, Arkansas, where ULM will play Missouri State, Southeast Missouri, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Coppin State at UCA's invitational. The three-day tournament will take place over the course of the first weekend in March.
Less than a week later, ULM will begin Sun Belt play, starting with a three-day series at Troy. 2019 marks the first season in which conference series will be played over three days, with one game each day, as opposed to the previous years in which teams played a double-header on Saturday and a single game on Sunday.
ULM will play at home for five of its nine three-game conference series, playing host to Appalachian State, Texas State, Georgia Southern, South Alabama, and the Ragin' Cajuns. The Sun Belt conference tournament is slated to begin on Wednesday, May 8 in San Marcos, Texas.
"There is a lot of talented programs in this conference," said Fichtner. "I'm excited to see what our newcomers bring to the table against those teams. We have a ton of gifted returners as well and I'm looking forward to watching the team grow."
The Warhawks have also seven mid-week non-conference games throughout the season, three of which are to be played at home. ULM will host Central Arkansas and play a home-and-home series with both Louisiana Tech and Stephen F Austin. Fans will also be able to see the Warhawks on the road against Southeastern Louisiana, LSU, and Mississippi Valley State as well.
Season tickets are available for sale for $50, which includes entry to all 18 home games during the 2019 season – to purchase season tickets click
here. Single game tickets will be available as well as $5 per game. Additional info about both season and single game tickets can be found by visiting the Ticket Office in Fant-Ewing Coliseum or by calling 318-342-HAWK.
| 2/8 |
Austin Peay |
Birmingham, AL |
12:30 |
| 2/9 |
Wright State |
Birmingham, AL |
10:00 |
| 2/9 |
Austin Peay |
Birmingham, AL |
12:30 |
| 2/10 |
Wright State |
Birmingham, AL |
9:00 |
| 2/10 |
UAB |
Birmingham, AL |
11:30 |
| 2/13 |
Stephen F. Austin |
Nacogdoches, TX |
3:00 |
| 2/16 |
Maryland |
Houston, TX |
9:00 |
| 2/16 |
Nevada |
Houston, TX |
11:30 |
| 2/17 |
Nicholls State |
Houston, TX |
11:30 |
| 2/17 |
Houston |
Houston, TX |
2:00 |
| 2/22 |
Minnestota |
Tuscaloosa, AL |
11:00 |
| 2/22 |
Missouri State |
Tuscaloosa, AL |
1:30 |
| 2/23 |
Missouri State |
Tuscaloosa, AL |
11:00 |
| 2/23 |
Minnestota |
Tuscaloosa, AL |
6:00 |
| 2/24 |
Alabama |
Tuscaloosa, AL |
1:30 |
| 2/26 |
McNeese State |
Lake Charles, LA |
6:00 |
| 2/28 |
Missouri State |
Conway, AR |
6:00 |
| 3/1 |
SEMO |
Conway, AR |
11:15 |
| 3/2 |
UAPB |
Conway, AR |
3:45 |
| 3/2 |
Coppin State |
Conway, AR |
6:00 |
| 3/8 |
Troy* |
Troy, AL |
6:00 |
| 3/9 |
Troy* |
Troy, AL |
2:00 |
| 3/10 |
Troy* |
Troy, AL |
NOON |
| 3/15 |
Appalachian State* |
Monroe, LA |
6:00 |
| 3/16 |
Appalachian State* |
Monroe, LA |
2:00 |
| 3/17 |
Appalachian State* |
Monroe, LA |
NOON |
| 3/19 |
Central Arkansas |
Monroe, LA |
5:00 |
| 3/22 |
Texas State University* |
Monroe, LA |
6:00 |
| 3/23 |
Texas State University* |
Monroe, LA |
2:00 |
| 3/24 |
Texas State University* |
Monroe, LA |
NOON |
| 3/27 |
Louisiana Tech |
Monroe, LA |
6:00 |
| 3/29 |
Coastal Carolina* |
Conway, SC |
4:00 |
| 3/30 |
Coastal Carolina* |
Conway, SC |
2:00 |
| 3/31 |
Coastal Carolina* |
Conway, SC |
NOON |
| 4/2 |
Southeastern Louisiana |
Hammond, LA |
5:00 |
| 4/5 |
Georgia Southern* |
Monroe, LA |
6:00 |
| 4/6 |
Georgia Southern* |
Monroe, LA |
3:00 |
| 4/7 |
Georgia Southern* |
Monroe, LA |
NOON |
| 4/9 |
Louisiana Tech |
Ruston, LA |
6:00 |
| 4/12 |
U of Texas Arlington* |
Arlington, TX |
5:00 |
| 4/13 |
U of Texas Arlington* |
Arlington, TX |
1:00 |
| 4/14 |
U of Texas Arlington* |
Arlington, TX |
NOON |
| 4/16 |
Mississippi Valley State |
Itta Bena, MS |
5:00 |
| 4/18 |
South Alabama* |
Monroe, LA |
6:00 |
| 4/19 |
South Alabama* |
Monroe, LA |
6:00 |
| 4/20 |
South Alabama* |
Monroe, LA |
NOON |
| 4/23 |
LSU |
Baton Rouge, LA |
6:00 |
| 4/24 |
Stephen F. Austin |
Monroe, LA |
6:00 |
| 4/26 |
Georgia State* |
Decatur, GA |
5:00 |
| 4/27 |
Georgia State* |
Decatur, GA |
1:00 |
| 4/28 |
Georgia State* |
Decatur, GA |
1:00 |
| 5/2 |
Louisiana-Lafayette* |
Monroe, LA |
6:00 |
| 5/3 |
Louisiana-Lafayette* |
Monroe, LA |
6:00 |
| 5/4 |
Louisiana-Lafayette* |
Monroe, LA |
NOON |
| 5/8 |
Conference Tournament |
San Marcos, TX |
TBD |
