MONROE, La. – ULM head softball coach Molly Fichtner announced the team's 2020 schedule Thursday, which features 21 home games. Overall, ULM is scheduled to play seven games against teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season, including SEC teams Ole Miss and LSU, who both reached the Super Regionals of the tournament last year.
"The opportunity to play against two of the top teams in the country is incredible," Fichtner said. "I have a ton of respect for Beth Torina and Mike Smith and look forward to battling against them this year."
The Warhawks will start the season at home and will host games at the Warhawk Softball Complex for five of the first six games. The only road trip in that stretch will be to Ruston to take on I-20 rival Louisiana Tech. The Lady Techsters won the Conference USA tournament last year and made it to the Baton Rouge regional of the NCAA tournament.
"First and foremost, I am very thrilled to open up at home this year," Fichtner said. "There is nothing like opening up the year on your own home field."
ULM will open the season at home with a four-game invitational that will also include Stephen F. Austin and Southern University beginning on Friday, Feb. 7. The Lumberjacks reached the National Invitational Softball Championship regionals last year. The Warhawks will travel to Ruston on Feb. 11 for a mid-week matchup against Louisiana Tech before returning home and hosting Grambling State the next day.
ULM travels to Conroe, Texas for the next five games with an invitational that starts on Friday, Feb. 14, and also includes San Diego State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UAB.
The Warhawks will travel to Lake Charles for a mid-week match on Feb. 19 against McNeese State before moving down the road to Youngsville for the Mardi Gras Mambo that also includes Houston Baptist, Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, Nicholls State and Southeastern. McNeese also made it to the NISC regionals last year.
ULM returns home on Wednesday, Feb. 26 for a rematch with Louisiana Tech before heading to Conway, Arkansas for the last invitational of the season that also features Belmont, Stephen F. Austin, Central Arkansas and Northern Iowa.
"We will be on the road for a few weeks before conference starts," Fichtner said. "It gives our team a great opportunity to learn how to win on the road before Sun Belt competition begins."
The Warhawks will then travel to Statesboro, Georgia, for the first Sun Belt conference series of the season against Georgia Southern. The three-game series will start on March 6.
ULM returns to the Warhawk Softball Complex for a four-game home stand that includes a rematch with McNeese State on March 11 followed by a three-game conference series against UT Arlington that starts on March 13.
The Warhawks will travel to Oxford, Mississippi on March 17 for a mid-week matchup against Ole Miss before returning home the next day to host Southern Miss, followed by a three-game series against conference foe Troy.
ULM will round out March on the road with a rematch against Grambling State and a three-game conference series against South Alabama that starts on March 27.
The Warhawks will host a mid-week match against Southeastern on March 31 before traveling to Baton Rouge the next day to take on LSU. ULM will stay on the road in early April with a three-game series in Boone, North Carolina against Appalachian State that starts on April 3, followed by a mid-week match against Central Arkansas in the last non-conference game of the season.
The Warhawk Softball Complex will play host to Coastal Carolina in a three-game series that starts on April 9. Coastal Carolina defeated the Warhawks in the semi-finals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament last season.
ULM will head to San Marcos, Texas for a showdown with Texas State before returning home for the last home stand of the season against Georgia State on April 24. The three-game series against the Panthers will also serve as senior weekend for the softball team.
The Warhawks will travel to Lafayette for the last series of the season on April 30 against in-state and conference rival, the Ragin' Cajuns. The Ragin' Cajuns played in the regional round of the NCAA tournament last season.
The 2020 Sun Belt Conference Tournament will start on May 6 and will take place at Heck Softball Complex in Atlanta, Ga., home of the Georgia State Panthers.
"It's going to be a fun year to watch our team compete this season," Fichtner said. "We have 11 returners and 10 new faces on the field. I am excited to see what our newcomers will bring, and we're excited to get the season started."
Follow along with all things Warhawk Softball on Twitter and Facebook at @ULM_Softball.
