NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State softball team will play 32 games at home this year, part of a 56-game regular season schedule that was released today by the program. Included in there is a stretch in which NSU plays at home for three straight weekends during non-conference play.
The Spartans will also host three MEAC weekends, in addition to four non-conference doubleheaders at the NSU Softball Field. The team's road contests include both a four-game and a five-game tournament during the early part of the season, three MEAC series, and three non-conference doubleheaders.
They will play 17 straight games at home from February through March, following the opening weekend of the year, a five-game tournament at Presbyterian on Feb. 7-9. After more than a week off, that home stretch begins with a doubleheader against Radford on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m.
The NSU Softball Field will have some hosting duties during the three weekends of the Pirate Classic, run by Hampton. The first weekend will take place from Feb. 21-23 and will include Toledo, Sacred Heart, Hartford and Youngstown State all facing the Spartans.
Fairleigh Dickinson, Morehead State and Marshall will all take on NSU from Feb. 28-March 1 during the second weekend. The third weekend includes UMBC, Binghamton, Saint Peter's, Delaware State and Wagner from March 6-8. Norfolk State will play five games each weekend, including a few teams twice.
Following that home stretch, NSU is on the road with non-conference doubleheaders at North Carolina State (March 10) and Maryland Eastern Shore (March 12). The Spartans also play four games at Mount St. Mary's for a tournament from March 13-15.
MEAC play gets underway after that. New this year, the league will scrap divisions, and teams will play three-game series against six of the other 10 MEAC programs. Teams will either not play the other four programs, or they will play them in a non-conference capacity.
The Spartans kick things off with a home series against Morgan State on March 21-22, followed by a road trip to Bethune-Cookman for three games on March 28-29. They then host Radford (April 2, 4 p.m.) and Maryland Eastern Shore (April 8, 1 p.m.) for non-conference doubleheaders, with a home MEAC series with Florida A&M (April 4-5) in between.
NSU travels to South Carolina State on April 18-19 for a three-game series, and to Hampton on April 21 for a doubleheader. The Spartans also host North Carolina A&T (April 25-26) and travel to Howard (May 1-2) to close out conference play. A non-conference doubleheader with North Carolina Central on April 29 at 4 p.m. also dots the schedule.
All home MEAC series begin at 1 p.m. on the first day and at noon on the second.
Following the series at Howard, the MEAC Championship takes place from May 6-9 in Ormond Beach, Florida.
