Dec. 10, 2007
Washington, D.C. - Georgetown University head softball coach Pat Conlan has released the team's 59-game, 2008 schedule, which includes 17 home games and eight in-season tournaments, beginning with the Kennesaw State Tournament on Friday, February 8. The Hoyas will also travel more than they have in their two-season history, with trips to Texas and New Mexico.
"In our third year part of our vision is to better our schedule as the program evolves," Conlan said. "This year, we're playing a melting pot of a schedule against very competitive schools from a variety of conferences like the SEC, the ACC, and the BIG EAST."
For the second-consecutive season, the Kennesaw State Tournament in Kennesaw, Ga., will mark the beginning of the season for Georgetown. This season the tournament features Middle Tennessee, Ole Miss, Tennessee Tech and the host school Kennesaw State University.
The Hoyas enjoy a considerable amount of time at home in 2008, after playing just 14 games at Guy Mason Field on Wisconsin Avenue, over their first two seasons. The home schedule begins with a doubleheader against Towson University at 2p.m. on Wednesday, March 12. For the second year, Georgetown will host the Hoya Invitational, on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16. Seton Hall, Mount St. Mary's and Holy Cross round out this year's field.
"Playing on our home field provides more comfort and allows our fan base more opportunity to see us play," Conlan said. "It keeps our players in the classroom and allows them to be more productive and better student athletes. Plus, it will be nice to have the home field advantage and get the last at bat."
Despite the extra home games, GU will log plenty of mileage in 2008. Aside from their opening trip to Kennesaw, Ga., Georgetown will spend February 15-17 in the Peach State to play in the Georgia Southern Invitational in Statesboro, Ga. The Hoyas will also travel to El Paso, Texas, to play in the UTEP Tournament from February 29 to March 2, a week before traveling to New Mexico to take on New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, N.M., on March 5. The Blue & Gray will round out their West Coast trip in Albuquerque, NM, for the University of New Mexico Tournament on March 7-8.
A season before joining the BIG EAST, the Hoyas will get a sneak preview of future competition, squaring off with Seton Hall for a 1p.m. home game on Saturday, March 15 and against Rutgers during the University of Virginia Tournament in Charlottesville, Va., Friday, March 21. Georgetown will join regular BIG EAST play beginning the 2008-2009 season.
In 2008, the Hoyas will meet 19 schools for the first time in team history. Among the schools Georgetown will play for the first time: Middle Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, Ole Miss, Drexel, Jacksonville State, Alabama State, Georgia Southern, Binghamton, UC Riverside, Northern Colorado, Loyola Marymount, UTEP, New Mexico State, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Mississippi Valley State, Mississippi State, Quinnipiac University and Central Connecticut State.
Georgetown wraps up their 2008 regular season against opponents in which they have had mixed results. On Tuesday, April 12, the Hoyas will look to keep an unblemished home record (3-0) against Coppin State. For the second-straight season, GU meets Marshall in the regular season finale, after falling twice to The Herd to end the 2007 season.
