The University of Kentucky softball team opens the 2007 season one week from today when it travels to Waco, Texas, for the Getterman Classic hosted by Baylor. UK will face Stephen F. Austin in the season opener, Feb. 9, at 12:45 pm ET.

Third-year head coach Eileen Schmidt returns 11 players from the 2006 squad that finished with an overall record of 21-36 and a 4-26 mark in Southeastern Conference play.

Inclement weather has kept the Wildcats indoors during the preseason. The majority of their recent practice schedule has been spent inside the Nutter Practice Facility rather than on their home field at the UK Softball Complex.

?We?re one week away from the season opener and we haven?t been outside very much,? said Schmidt. ?We were lucky enough to go out on Thursday and we were a little rusty. We look great inside on the turf, but 32 degrees and dirt is another story.?

While the conditions in Lexington may have been less than ideal to tune up for the season opener, the Cats will head to a warmer climate in the Lonestar state next week.

?The team did a good job of keeping their focus which is pretty hard in those temperatures and they worked through some kinks,? said Schmidt. ?Obviously, it would be ideal if the weather would cooperate and we could get outside more. Our field crew did an awesome job of getting us out there this week, but we are doing what we can with what we’ve been dealt. I still feel like we are ahead of where we were at this time last season.?