2018 NCCU Softball Schedule (Printer Friendly PDF)
DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University softball team has announced its schedule for the spring of 2018 and the Lady Eagles will play a total of 41 regular season games in anticipation of a return trip to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Tournament in May.
Highlights of the schedule include three early tournaments that are new to the schedule, home dates against three league foes and a Senior Day doubleheader against Appalachian State University.
The Lady Eagles will be touring the Southeast coastal states a bunch with just 10 home games and a total of 31 road games between Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
NCCU's first three non-conference road doubleheaders are against common in-state opponents, including its season-opener at Elon University on Sunday, Feb. 11. The Lady Eagles will also visit Gardner-Webb University and Western Carolina University in March.
The first weekend tournament for NCCU will be the Buccaneer Invitational hosted by Charleston Southern University on Feb. 17-18. The Eagles will also participate in the Red and Black Tournament hosted by Gardner-Webb on March 2-3 and the newly created HBCU Softball Tournament at Patriots Park in Acworth, Georgia, on March 10-11. In addition to the host teams, NCCU will face Eastern Kentucky University, Valparaiso University, Marist College, Southern University, Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore in the neutral-site events.
The Lady Eagles will make their home debut against Howard University on Friday, Feb. 23. The home field location for that twin bill will be announced at a later time.
NCCU will host its final eight home games at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary. Admission is free to all home softball games.
The maroon and gray will open up MEAC play by hosting defending champion Florida A&M University in the standard three-game series format on Saturday-Sunday, March 24-25. The Lady Eagles will host a league foe for a second straight week with that series against Savannah State University moved up to Friday-Saturday, March 30-April 1 due with the Easter Holiday falling on that Sunday.
NCCU's final three league series against its fellow Southern Division opposition will be on the road at Bethune-Cookman University (April 7-8), South Carolina State University (April 21-22) and rival North Carolina A&T State University (April 28-29).
In addition to Howard and Eastern Shore, NCCU will face a total of four teams from the MEAC Northern Division in non-conference play. The Lady Eagles will play doubleheaders on back-to-back days against Norfolk State University and Hampton University on April 17-18.
NCCU went 7-8 in conference play to qualify for the MEAC Championship Tournament for the first time in program history last season. The 2018 MEAC Softball Tournament will once again be hosted by Bethune-Cookman at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Florida on from Thursday-Saturday, May 10-12.
NOTE: The schedule is subject to change and fans are encouraged to visit NCCUEaglePride.com throughout the season for the most up-to-date information.
