2011 Kansas Softball Schedule Announced

Oct. 26, 2010

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

2011 Kansas Softball Schedule

Kansas softball revealed its 55-game 2011 schedule Monday, a slate which features 20 contests versus NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. The Jayhawks open their challenging year Feb. 11-13 at the Jacksonville University Tournament.

KU will play 14 games at Arrocha Ballpark, highlighted by a doubleheader versus Women’s College World Series participant Missouri and NCAA Tournament participants Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

“We are excited about our spring schedule,” said second-year head coach Megan Smith. “Our pre-conference segment with games against North Carolina and Georgia Tech will help our young team prepare for Big 12 competition. The Big 12 will once again be one of the toughest softball conferences in the country and we are looking forward to that challenge.”

Kansas makes its season debut versus Smith’s alma mater North Carolina on Feb. 11 and will spend its first two weekends of the season in Florida traveling to the Stetson Hatter Invitational Feb. 18-20 in Deland, Fla., following the JU Tournament. The Jayhawks will also face NCAA Tournament team Bethune-Cookman three times during its first two tournaments. In addition to hosts Jacksonville and Stetson, Kansas will go up against Buffalo and South Dakota State.

From there, the Jayhawks will compete in the UNC-Greensboro Spartan Classic Feb. 25-27 with Minnesota and Morehead State. Kansas then heads west March 4-6 for the UNLV Eller Media Stadium Classic. KU’s lineup includes Sun Belt Conference runner-up Troy and Pacific Coast Softball Conference runner-up San Diego.

The Jayhawks make a stop at the North Florida Osprey Invitational, March 11-13, before heading to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleer Challenge, March 18-20, to wrap up tournament play in perhaps KU’s most challenging weekend yet. While in Conway, S.C., Kansas will go up against Lipscomb, the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season and tournament champion, as well as Atlantic Coast Conference champ Georgia Tech.

After 29 games on the road, Kansas opens its home slate with Border Showdown rival Missouri on March 23 to open Big 12 Conference play and a 12-game stretch that features 10 NCAA Tournament teams. KU heads to last year’s Big 12 regular-season champion Texas for two games March 26-27 and returns home for a two-game series with Nebraska (April 2-3) and Oklahoma (April 6), the 2009 Big 12 tournament winner.

KU also makes trips to Oklahoma State (April 9-10) and Texas Tech (April 13), both postseason teams a year ago.

Kansas makes its final road trip of the year April 27 for a doubleheader at Wichita State. The Jayhawks will conclude Big 12 play hosting NCAA Tournament participant Texas A&M April 30-May 1. On May 5 KU will welcome Drake for a doubleheader on Senior Day.