University of Houston Athletics

Softball

2017 Softball Season Begins This Weekend



COMPLETE NOTES

• The 2017 softball season gets underway this week with six of the seven American teams in action.

• USF, who is ranked in both major polls to start the season, opens their spring campaign at home hosting the USF-Wilson DeMarini Classic. The Bulls will take No.  6 Michigan and No. 4 Florida during the three-day event in Tampa.

• USF outfielder Juli Weber was named to the Top 50 “Watch List” for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. Weber, the 2016 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, led the team and conference with a .406 average over 61 games last season.

• UCF and Tulsa are receiving votes in the national polls heading into opening week. UCF plays host to Florida A&M, Pittsburgh and No. 20 Kentucky in the UCF Knights Invitational while Tulsa begins their season at the Hillenbrand Tournament in Tucson, Ariz. The tournament field includes Northwestern, who is receiving votes in the preseason NFCA poll, No. 21 Baylor, and No. 10 Arizona, the host for the week.

• Tulsa will celebrate their 25th season of softball this year. Last March, Tulsa won its 700th career game, and went on to capture the school’s 10th conference championship while making its eighth NCAA post-season appearance.

• Memphis travels south to Miami for the FIU Tournament, while East Carolina makes its season debut in  Athens, Ga., at the Red and Black Showcase hosted by No. 12 Georgia. Houston opens its season on Friday hosting Wright State in the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational.

Upcoming Schedule

Thursday, Feb. 9
^ Illinois State at No. 24/25 USF • 6 p.m.      
         
Friday, Feb. 10
% Syracuse vs. East Carolina • 10 a.m.
! Fordham vs. RV/RV Tulsa • 11 a.m.
% Winthrop vs. East Carolina • 12:30 p.m.
# Memphis vs. Georgetown • 12:30 p.m.
! RV/RV Tulsa vs. RV/NR Northwestern • 1 p.m.
$ LIU Brooklyn vs. UConn • Canceled
@ Florida A&M at RV/RV UCF • 3:30 p.m.
& Wright State at Houston • 5:30 p.m.
# Memphis at NR/RV FIU • 5:30 p.m.
@ Pittsburgh at RV/RV UCF • 6 p.m.
$ UConn at Florida Gulf Coast • Canceled
^ Delaware at 25/24 USF • 7 p.m.
& UC Santa Barbara at Houston • 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 11
% East Carolina vs. Winthrop • 10 a.m.
% East Carolina at 10/12 Georgia • 12:30 p.m.
# Georgetown vs. Memphis • 12:30 p.m.
! Cal State Northridge vs. RV/RV Tulsa • 1 p.m.
$ UConn at Florida Gulf Coast • Canceled
# Memphis at NR/RV FIU • 3 p.m.
! RV/RV Tulsa vs. 21/21 Baylor • 3 p.m.
@ 20/20 Kentucky at RV/RV UCF • 3:30 p.m.
$ LIU Brooklyn vs. UConn • Canceled
& Boston College at Houston • 5:30 p.m.
^ 6/6 Michigan at 25/24 USF • 5:30 p.m.
@ Florida A&M at RV/RV UCF • 6 p.m.
& Wichita State at Houston • 8 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 12
# Memphis at NR/RV FIU • 8:30 a.m.
$ UConn vs. LIU Brooklyn • Canceled
@ Pittsburgh at RV/RV UCF • 11:30 a.m.
& Wright State at Houston • Noon
% East Carolina at 10/12 Georgia • 1 p.m.
! RV/RV Tulsa at 10/12 Arizona • 2 p.m.
& Boston College at Houston • 2:30 p.m.
^ 4/3 Florida at 25/24 USF • 4 p.m.

All times Eastern and subject to chamge

[^] USF-Wilson DeMarini Classic (Tampa, Fla.)
[!] Hillenbrand Tournament (Tucson, Ariz.)
[%] Red and Black Showcase (Athens, Ga.)
[#] FIU Tournament (Miami, Fla.)
[$] Florida Gulf Coast Tournament (Fort Myers, Fla.)
[@] UCF Knights Invitational (UCF Stadium, Orlando, Fla.)
[&] Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational (Houston, Texas)