Nov. 5, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky head softball coach Rachel Lawson has released the 2009 schedule which features three tournaments, 14 home contests and matchups against 16 teams that advanced to the NCAA Regionals in 2008.
The Wildcats will face four opponents that comprised the Women’s College World Series in 2008–including conference foes Florida and Alabama, as well as early-season dates with UCLA and Louisiana-Lafayette.
“Our 2009 schedule should prove to be very challenging early and provide us the opportunity to get ready for the demands required to be successful in the SEC,” said Lawson. “In addition, a stronger schedule will better prepare us for reaching our team goal of competing in the NCAA Tournament.”
UK returns 10 letterwinners from a season-ago, and will welcome 10 freshmen to the roster in 2009. The Wildcats will look to All-SEC performers in juniors Molly Johnson and Natalie Smith and sophomores Meagan Aull and Megan Yocke to lead the Blue and White in their goals for the season.
The Wildcats will hit the road for the first weekend of action, Feb. 13-15 in Las Vegas. UK will face Oregon, Hawai’i, DePaul, World Series participant UCLA and the host UNLV Rebels. In all Kentucky will play five games in three days to open the year.
Following that tournament, UK will head south to Lafayette, La., for a four-team tournament hosted by World Series participant Louisiana-Lafayette. Kentucky will match-up with San Diego State and Connecticut as well as the host team in the three-day tournament.
Kentucky wraps up tournament action in Deland, Fla., at the Stetson Tournament. UK will face Centenary, Stetson and Maryland in their final tune-up before SEC action.
Southeastern Conference play begins with an opening weekend against LSU in Baton Rouge on March 7-8. UK will remain on the road for a doubleheader with instate rival Morehead State before entertaining Auburn for their first home action of the season March 14-15.
Kentucky faces out of conference opponents Miami of Ohio, Kent State and Western Kentucky in the month of March. Kent State will visit Lexington for a doubleheader on March 24. The Blue and White will also add road trips to Arkansas and Georgia in March.
In April, Kentucky will have 10 home contents in the action-packed month. UK will play in-state rival Louisville in a home-and-home match-up to begin and end the month. UK first welcomes Louisville on the 1st and will then later visit the Cardinals on the 28th. SEC opponents traveling to Lexington in April are Ole Miss (4-5), Tennessee (8), Florida (10-11) and Mississippi State (24-25).
Kentucky will also add doubleheaders with Chattanooga and Eastern Kentucky in April. Chattanooga visits the Wildcats on the 19th with Eastern Kentucky visiting on the 22nd.
To close out the regular season, Kentucky visits South Carolina for a three-game series May 2-3.
The SEC tournament is hosted by Tennessee in Knoxville this season. The tournament runs from May 7-9. NCAA Regionals follow a week later from the 14th-16th.
“Our team continues to work very hard and is excited about the fact that they will have the opportunity to compete on the national stage,” Lawson said. “We remain focused on bringing the University of Kentucky softball program up to the level that Wildcat fans have come accustomed to in all of our other great sports programs.”
Follow along with the UK softball program all season long at UKathletics.com.
