2012 WKU SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The Western Kentucky University softball team released its 2012 schedule on Wednesday. The Lady Toppers will play eight teams that played in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, including Arizona and Kentucky that each reached the Super Regionals. WKU opens its home slate February 24 against Murray State in the Hilltopper Spring Classic.
The Lady Toppers will play in five weekend tournaments to open 2012. The first tournament will be the Palmetto Classic hosted by South Carolina February 10-12. WKU will play Cleveland State on the 10th, Winthrop and South Carolina on the 11th, and Tennessee State on the 12th. The Lady Toppers then travel to Tucson, Ariz. the next weekend for the Hillenbrand Invitational hosted by Arizona. WKU will take on North Dakota, Southern Utah, Arizona, and UAB twice while in Tucson. Arizona reached the NCAA Super Regionals last season, taking on Oklahoma.
The Lady Toppers then return to Bowling Green for the Holiday Inn University Plaza Hilltopper Spring Classic Feb. 24-26 at the WKU Softball Field. WKU opens the tournament on Friday, Feb. 24 against Murray State at 3 p.m. On Saturday the Lady Toppers play Morehead State at 3 p.m. and Bowling Green at 5 p.m. WKU closes the tournament Sunday with a 3 p.m. game against Indiana State.
WKU opens March at the 2012 Buzz Classic hosted by Georgia Tech. The Lady Toppers will take on three NCAA Tournament participants from March 2-4 in Jacksonville State, Georgia State, and the host Yellow Jackets as well as Tennessee-Martin. WKU will also take on Kennesaw State while in Georgia. Sun Belt Conference play starts for WKU March 7-8 when the Lady Toppers play three games against Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla. WKU will then play in the Florida Atlantic Emabssy Suites Tournament March 9-10, playing Providence, Minnesota, Bethune-Cookman, and Boston College. Bethune-Cookman won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last season and played in the NCAA Tournament.
The Lady Toppers return from Boca Raton March 13th when they start a six-game homestand against Tennessee Tech. On the 14th, WKU will host Louisville at 4 p.m. The Cardinals hosted a regional in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The Lady Toppers play their first home conference series March 17-18 against South Alabama. The homestand wraps up on March 21 with a 7 p.m. game against Kentucky, which reached the NCAA Super Regionals a season ago.
After road trips to Eastern Kentucky, Samford, and North Texas, the Lady Toppers host Troy for a conference series April 6-7. FIU also takes on WKU at the WKU Softball Field April 14-15. The Lady Toppers open their final homestand of the season Tuesday, April 24 with a 5 p.m. game against Middle Tennessee. The next night, WKU hosts Lipscomb for a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. On April 28-29, the Lady Toppers host defending Sun Belt champions Louisiana-Lafayette for a three-game series. The home finale for WKU is on Thursday, May 3 when Evansville comes to the WKU Softball Field for a 5 p.m game.
WKU closes the 2012 regular season with a doubleheader at Middle Tennessee on Saturday, May 5. The 2012 Sun Belt Conference Tournament will be held in Boca Raton, Fla. May 9-12.
