Softball Announces 2009 Schedule
December 10, 2008 | Softball
Dec. 10, 2008
BOSTON - The Boston University softball team and head coach Shawn Rychcik have announced the 2009 schedule on Wednesday (Dec. 10). The Terriers will face five teams that made appearances in the 2008 NCAA tournament and at least four Atlantic 10 teams and three Big East schools. BU will open the first month of its 2009 campaign on the road and will return to BU Softball Field to host at least 11 contests.
The 2009 slate will feature five NCAA tournament teams – Sacramento State (Feb. 28; March 1), Long Island (March 14), Lehigh (March 22), Massachusetts (April 15) and America East champion Stony Brook (April 18-19). All five teams received automatic bids for winning their respective conference championships.
The Terriers will open the first month of its schedule on the road, beginning with the San Jose State Tournament from Feb. 27 to March 1. The tourney will feature the Spartans, as well as Sacramento State in a round robin rotation.
BU will carry on its tournament play from March 6 to March 8 with the prestigious USF Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater, Fla. On the first day of the three-day tourney, the Terriers will square off with the Big East’s Villanova, followed by Western Michigan and Robert Morris on March 7. On the third and final day, the Terriers have the potential to see South Florida, Virginia Tech, Hofstra or NC State.
Continuing with its month-long road stretch, BU will face Ball State (March 11) in Clearwater, Fla., before taking on East Tennessee State, Florida International, Jacksonville, LIU and George Washington at the USF Under Armour Showcase from March 13 to March 15.
On March 21, the Terriers will return to the Northeast for the remainder of its regular-season schedule and face Columbia in a doubleheader in New York, N.Y. The following day, they are slated to face Atlantic 10 foe St. Joseph’s and Patriot League champion Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa. On March 25, BU takes on crosstown rival and Atlantic Coast Conference member Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., in the first of a two-game season series that will conclude at BU Softball Field on April 29.
The Terriers take on Rhode Island on March 26, before delving into America East play two days later when Albany comes to BU Softball Field for a three-game set on March 28 and 29. BU briefly steps out of conference action to take on Big East foes Providence and Connecticut on April 1 and 2, respectively, before returning to the America East with UMBC two days later.
In addition to Albany and UMBC, BU will host Stony Brook, Maine and Binghamton.
The 2009 softball program will aim to capture its seventh America East title and first since 2003. Last year, the Terriers went 29-23 overall and April Setterlund earned the conference’s Rookie of the Year title season’s end.
