Buckeyes Release 2019 Schedule
12/12/2018 11:48:16 AM | Softball
RELATED INFO
- Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram | 2019 Schedule (PDF)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After securing 36 wins a season ago, the most since 2010 and under head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly, the Ohio State softball team is ready to embark on the 2019 campaign.
The 2019 slate features 12 games against teams that made last year’s NCAA Tournament, 13 contests at Buckeye Field and five non-conference tournaments.
“The Buckeyes will once again travel the country to face top-notch teams early and often,” said Schoenly. “We will be taking several of our seniors home – Morgan Ray to the Northwest, Bri Betschel and Kat Duvall to California. We know Buckeye Nation will be out in full support wherever we go. We have a tremendous home slate starting in mid-March and look forward to playing in front of our home fans.”
Similar to years past, the Buckeyes will spend the first six weeks of the season away from home. The journey begins in Orlando, Fla. at the Friends of Jaclyn Tournament. The Scarlet & Gray will meet George Mason (Feb. 8), Ole Miss (twice, Feb. 8 and 10), North Florida (Feb. 9) and tournament host UCF (Feb. 9).
Ohio State heads back to the Sunshine State for the ESPN St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational Feb. 15-17. The Buckeyes are one of only two Big Ten teams to be invited to the tournament. Ohio State opens the invitational against defending national champion Florida State. The squad will go on to face Utah and NCAA Tournament participants LSU and Notre Dame. The games against the Seminoles and Fighting Irish will count towards the ACC/Big Ten Challenge standings.
OSU takes part in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palms Springs, Calif. the following weekend, the first appearance at the tournament in two years. The team will challenge Army (Feb. 22), Utah (Feb. 23), Duke (Feb. 23) and New Mexico State (Feb. 24), who made last year’s NCAA Tournament.
The adventure continues with the longest trip of the season – a 10-day excursion for Spring Break. The Buckeyes will play Seattle twice (March 8 and 9), WCWS runner-up Washington (March 8), Idaho State (March 9) and NIU (March 10) as part of the Husky Classic. The team travels south for a doubleheader at Portland State on March 12 before getting on an airplane to compete in the Lopes Up Classic March 15-17. While in Phoenix, Ohio State has a pair of games against Lehigh and host Grand Canyon with a single game versus Weber State.
Buckeye Nation will have its first chance to see the team at Buckeye Field when Ohio State kicks off Big Ten action with a weekend series (March 22-24) against Indiana.
The Buckeyes plan to visit Kentucky, a NCAA Tournament participant, on March 27 before getting back into conference play that weekend with three games at Maryland (March 29-31).
The Scarlet & Gray will make a trip to Pittsburgh on April 3 and returns home to take on Rutgers from April 5-7. A midweek doubleheader at Penn State is on the books for April 9. The Buckeyes battle Big Ten rival and NCAA Regional participant Michigan April 12-14 at Buckeye Field.
Ohio State concludes its non-conference slate when it hosts in-state foe and postseason qualifier Ohio on April 16. The team will spend the weekend at Michigan State (April 19-21).
The Buckeyes wrap up their home schedule against Illinois April 26-28, a team they have not faced since 2017. The final regular season series is slated for May 3-5 at Iowa.
The 2019 Big Ten Tournament takes place May 9-11 at Andy Mohr Field on the campus of Indiana University.
Ohio State returns 16 letterwinners in 2019, including NFCA Second Team All-American Lilli Piper (.404, 20 HR, 58 RBI, 65 hits, 50 runs). She is joined by fellow seniors and NFCA Second Team All-Midwest Region honorees Morgan Ray (2.58 ERA, 157.2 IP, 145 Ks) and Emily Clark (43 RBI, 32 runs, 40 hits).
