The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team will face four
teams that competed in the NCAA tournament last year to highlight a
tough 2010 schedule. The Islanders will open the season against
Stanford, the No. 8 national seed from a year ago, in the Hawaii
Paradise Classic.
"The first game of the season will help us see where we're at
with recruiting and overall philosophy," said head coach Jake
Schumann. "We will be playing to win but also preparing your
program for postseason and the next couple of years by evaluating
where you are at against a team like Stanford."
TAMUCC will also face Southland member McNeese State and host
team Hawaii from Feb. 11-13 to begin the season. They will follow
the Paradise Classic up by hosting two home tournaments on Feb.
18-21 and Feb. 25-28 before starting conference play. The Islander
Classic: Presented by Holiday Inn Emerald Beach features games
against Centenary, Southern (La.) and Boston College as the first
of the two while the Holiday Inn Emerald Beach Invitational has the
Islanders hosting Houston Baptist, North Dakota and
Louisiana-Monroe.
Following the tournaments, the Islanders open Southland play on
March 2-3 against UTSA. The schedule is 54 games in all with 30
games coming against Southland competition. In addition to playing
defending Southland champions Texas State, TAMUCC will face three
other NCAA teams from a year ago. They open the season with
Stanford, play Texas A&M in College Station on March 9 and make
a return trip to Austin on March 25 to take on the Texas
Longhorns.
"This schedule is one of the toughest we have ever had at
TAMUCC," said head coach Jake Schumann. "We play a top 10 team in
Stanford as well as tournament teams in Texas and Texas
A&M.
"Games against that type of competition will prepare us both
physically and mentally for the long haul."
The Islanders play five home series and five away series against
Southland Competition, ending the regular season on May 8-9 in
Hammond, La. against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions. The
following week from May 13-15, the Southland Conference Tournament
will be held in San Marcos on the campus of Texas State. TAMUCC
will be looking to qualify for the tournament for the first time
ever on the strength of the recent recruiting classes.
"I think we are going to be much better than last year," said
Schumann. "Everybody needs some luck to win it but I anticipate us
making the conference tournament this season."
