Spartans announce 2012 softball schedule

UNCG coach Jennifer Herzig

GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG's softball team will take part in four early season tournaments and host 23 home contests, including its annual Spartan Classic, in 2012, coach Jennifer Herzig announced Tuesday.

UNCG will open its season in Florida for the sixth straight season and at Jacksonville University's tournament for the fourth time in that span. The Spartans are part of JU's Opening Weekend Tournament field that includes the host Dolphins as well as Buffalo, St. Louis and Virginia Tech. UNCG's first game of the season will be Feb. 10.

From Feb. 17-19, UNCG will play in East Carolina's Pirate Clash, a tournament in Greenville, N.C., that also includes Fordham and Louisville.

The Spartans are at home for the first time from Feb. 24-26 when they host the UNCG Spartan Classic at the UNCG Softball Stadium. The 2012 field includes Rider, Drexel and Utah, with the latter two making their first-ever appearances in the tournament. Each team will play five games over the weekend.

UNCG gets back on the road for the Georgia Tech Buzz Classic from March 2-4 to kick off a long road swing. On March 8, the Spartans will play a doubleheader at Charlotte before opening the Southern Conference slate at Appalachian State on March 10-11.

The Spartans will step back out of conference play to host Virginia Tech for a doubleheader on March 14 and hosts league rival Elon for a three-game set on March 17-18. UNCG caps the seven-game homestand with a twinbill against North Carolina A&T on March 20.

SoCon series at Furman (March 24-25) and Samford (March 31-April 1) follow that, with a doubleheader at Liberty on April 4 wrapping up an eight-game stretch on the road.

Georgia Southern comes to town for a three-game set on April 6-7, followed by UNCG hosting North Carolina for a doubleheader on April 11. A midweek doubleheader at Radford on April 17 wraps up the nonconference portion of the schedule before UNCG plays at College of Charleston on April 21-22.

The Spartans close the regular season with six straight at home, hosting Western Carolina on April 28-29 and Chattanooga on May 5-6.

This season's SoCon Championship will take place in Boone, N.C., from May 9-12. UNCG has won a pair of games at the tournament in a school-record five straight seasons and fell one win shy of its second consecutive title game appearance in 2011.

UNCG went 26-32 overall last season, posting a 10-14 SoCon mark. The Spartans were 12-9 at home, turning in the best season ever at the UNCG Softball Stadium, which opened in 2006.

2012 UNCG softball schedule
Feb. 10-12 at Jacksonville Opening Weekend Tournament (Jacksonville, Fla.); Feb. 17-19 at East Carolina Pirate Clash (Greenville, N.C.); Feb. 24-26 UNCG Spartan Classic (Greensboro, N.C.); March 2-4 at Georgia Tech Buzz Classic (Woodstock, Ga.); March 8 at Charlotte (DH), 4 p.m.; March 10 at Appalachian State (DH)*, 1 p.m.; March 11 at Appalachian State*, 1 p.m.; March 14 vs. Virginia Tech (DH), 4 p.m.; March 17 vs. Elon (DH)*, 1 p.m.; March 18 vs. Elon*, 1 p.m.; North Carolina A&T (DH), 4 p.m.; March 24 at Furman (DH)*, 1 p.m.; March 25 at Furman*, 1 p.m.; March 31 at Samford (DH)*, 1 p.m.; April 1 at Samford*, 1 p.m.; April 4 at Liberty (DH), 2 p.m.; April 6 vs. Georgia Southern (DH)*, 5 p.m.; April 7 vs. Georgia Southern*, 1 p.m.; April 11 vs. North Carolina (DH), 4 p.m.; April 17 at Radford (DH), 4 p.m.; April 21 at College of Charleston (DH)*, 1 p.m.; April 22 at College of Charleston*, 1 p.m.; April 28 vs. Western Carolina (DH)*, 1 p.m.; April 29 at Western Carolina*, 1 p.m.; May 5 vs. Chattanooga (DH)*, 1 p.m.; May 6 vs. Chattanooga*, 1 p.m.; May 9-12 at Southern Conference Championship (Boone, N.C.)

* Southern Conference games

- UNCG -