Nov. 14, 2006
For the full 2007 spring slate, please click on the schedule link on the left-hand side of the page.
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - As the UCF softball team prepares for its first full season at the new UCF Softball Complex, the Golden Knights finalized their schedule Tuesday and will have a lot of eventful dates for fans to enjoy in 2007. UCF will play in the Florida Atlantic and UNLV Tournaments for the first time ever, while it is set to host the Conference USA Championships May 10-12.
"We are very excited to finally have a full set of home games at our new stadium," said head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie, whose 2006 team played its first month of the home season at Merrill Park in Altamonte Springs while the new field was being constructed. "We will put a lot of our focus into having a great finish to our season and hosting the conference tournament at our new facility. We did not lose a senior off last year's team, and now that we do have one year of Conference USA competition under our belt, we feel like this season will be a lot better. Our pitching staff is healthy, and I think the newcomers, including pitcher Ashleigh Cole (Fr., Pace, Fla./Pace), will help make a big impact for UCF.
"We also are looking forward to playing some of the top-ranked teams, such as UCLA in Las Vegas. The early road games are important because it helps us get our feet wet and the girls will know what to expect when the conference season begins."
In all, the Golden Knights will play against eight programs that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year, with three of those games on the UCF campus. The C-USA Championships, however, will be the featured home event, and includes the top six finishers from the regular season in a double-elimination format. UCF is one of the newest members of the league as it prepares to embark on just its second season in C-USA in 2007.
This year's UCF squad tests itself early and often on the road when February rolls around. It first travels to the FAU Tournament Feb. 9-11 and will tangle with Miami (Ohio), 2006 A-Sun champion Florida Atlantic, North Florida and Pittsburgh with bracket play to finish off the weekend. After a single game at Bethune-Cookman Feb. 13, the Golden Knights head to Las Vegas for what could be the toughest challenge of the year Feb. 16-18. Their first clash will be against UCLA, last season's top seed for the NCAA Tournament and the Women's College World Series. They also meet up with host UNLV, Colorado State, Seton Hall and Oklahoma State.
UCF finally gets the home portion of the schedule underway Feb. 21 with a twin-bill against Colonial Athletic Association champion Hofstra at 2:30 p.m. Two days later, the UCF Tournament takes place Feb. 23-25 with America East champion Albany, Boston University, George Mason, Alabama State and Villanova invading the UCF Softball Complex. Other non-conference highlights on tap at home will be North Florida (Feb. 27), Eastern Michigan (March 1), Bethune Cookman (March 15), Dartmouth (March 21), Stetson (April 4) and Florida Atlantic (April 11).
The last event before the Conference USA season starts will be the Altamonte Springs Tournament March 2-4. UCF tangles with Jacksonville State, NCAA Tournament representative Virginia Tech, Villanova and Holy Cross before bracket play on the final day of action.
Greenville, N.C., will be the site for the C-USA opener as UCF battles East Carolina March 10-11. The Golden Knights' first home conference weekend is slated for March 17-18 against Southern Miss. UCF also hosts league games against Marshall (March 31-April 1), UAB (April 14-15) and UTEP (April 28-29), while traveling to last year's conference champion Tulsa (March 24-25), Houston (April 21-22) and Memphis (May 5-6).
Meanwhile, after welcoming Florida State and Florida to Orlando in non-conference play last season, UCF will be on the road against those two teams in 2007, traveling to Tallahassee for a doubleheader against FSU March 28 at 4 p.m., and will meet Florida in Gainesville for a single game April 18 at 6 p.m. Both programs reached the NCAA Tournament in 2006, with the Seminoles finishing their campaign ranked No. 25 in the USA Today/NFCA coaches' poll.
For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights, tickets a printable schedule, or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF athletics.