EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The SIUE softball program released its schedule for the 2014 regular season as the Cougars prepare for another run at the Ohio Valley Conference title.
The Cougars’ 2014 season begins with non-conference tournaments on five consecutive weekends before the team’s Ohio Valley Conference opener March 15.
“We’re going to be extremely challenged early in the season,” Head Coach Sandy Montgomery said. “Hopefully our non-conference schedule pays off when we get into conference play. Playing the likes of LSU, Arizona State, and (defending national champion) Oklahoma will prepare our kids to play at a very high level early on. We’ll take some knocks, but it will pay off in the long run.”
SIUE kicks off the season Feb. 7 at the LSU Tournament in Baton Rouge, La. The Cougars will play five games over the weekend, including games against Oklahoma State, Minnesota, LSU, and OVC rival Murray State.
The following weekend, the Cougars head west for the Arizona State Littlewood Classic in Tempe, Ariz. SIUE plays five more games in Tempe, featuring match-ups against Michigan State, Arizona State, and Oklahoma, who captured the NCAA Division I National Championship last season.
The Cougars play three more non-conference tournaments, with five games at Jackson State in Jackson, Miss. (Feb. 21-23), five games at Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. (Feb. 28 – March 2), and four games at OVC foe Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau, Mo. (March 8-9).
“It’s always important to play a tough schedule early so you’ve been challenged and hopefully have had a little bit of success by the time you get into conference,” Montgomery said. “If you’re playing some big schools from conferences like the SEC, Big Ten, and Big 12, you should be prepared for the level of competition in the OVC.”
After a non-conference road game at Missouri State March 12, SIUE plays host to a doubleheader with Austin Peay in the Cougars’ OVC opener March 15. The two teams will play a three-game series at Cougar Field.
Seven of SIUE’s final eight games in March will be played on the road.
Home fans will have plenty of opportunities to see SIUE in action at Cougar Field in April as the Cougars welcome six different opponents to Edwardsville during the month.
SIUE has home games against SIU Carbondale (April 2), Morehead State (April 5), Eastern Kentucky (April 6), Southeast Missouri (April 12-13), Saint Louis (April 15), and Evansville (April 24).
The Cougars wrap up the regular season at home with three games against in-state rival Eastern Illinois May 3-4.
This year’s OVC Tournament will be held from May 7-10 at the site of the tournament’s No. 1 seed.
Montgomery knows that staying healthy will be crucial for the Cougars, who are looking to build on a 2013 campaign in which the program achieved 35 wins and made an appearance in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
“Just like any other sport, you have to stay healthy,” Montgomery added. “We have to manage our mentality, handle adversity, and keep our eye on the goal which is winning the conference championship. There’s no doubt in my mind that we can be successful with the talent we have. We’re excited to get going.”
