Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University’s softball team will play in two in-season tournaments, as well as square off against 2011 Women’s College World Series participant Oklahoma to highlight its 2012 schedule.
Oklahoma is one of four teams the Lady Govs will play in 2012 that competed in last spring’s NCAA Tournament, while playing in the Kennesaw State and Tulsa tournaments in the season’s first three weeks.
“We also are playing the University of Oklahoma, after the Tulsa tournament, which will give two of our players’ families (Amy Mills and Taylor Mills – no relation) a change to see them play near home – with both being from Oklahoma.”
Oklahoma and Tulsa also are just two of four teams on the Lady Govs schedule that played in the NCAA tournament in 2011. Overall Austin Peay will play 15 games against 10 teams ranked in the top-100 in RPI last season.
“Our girls are looking forward to the challenge,” Dickson said. “Our program always plays one of the tougher schedules in the conference, which only elevates our program and conference.”
Austin Peay opens its schedule on February 11th-12th at the Kennesaw State Classic, where they will face Mercer, Miami (Ohio), Southern Illinois Carbondale and host Belmont.
The next weekend, February 18th-19th, the Lady Govs play a three-game series at Jackson State, while returning to action March 2nd-4th at the Tulsa tournament, where they face Loyola Chicago, North Texas and host Tulsa.
Two days later, March 6th, they play their final pre-Ohio Valley Conference contest against Oklahoma.
“The early schedule will only help us get ready for conference play,” Dickson said. “This is the final year the OVC Conference tournament will be six teams (in 2012 the top eight teams will make the tournament) and the girls not only want to make the tournament field, but go in as the number-one seed.”
Conference play opens for Austin Peay on March 10th-11th at Cheryl Holt Field against Tennessee Tech, with other home conference matchups coming on March 24th-25th versus Morehead State, March 29th against Tennessee State (single game), April 4th versus Tennessee Martin (doubleheader), April 14th-15th against Southeast Missouri and April 28th-29th against Jacksonville State.
Austin Peay’s road OVC games are against SIU Edwardsville on March 17th-18th, Tennessee State (doubleheader) March 21st, Eastern Kentucky on March 31st/May 1st, Tennessee Martin (single game) April 12th, Murray State April 21st-22nd, while wrapping up conference play on May 5th-6th at Eastern Illinois.
In addition to the February series at Jackson State, and the Lady Govs will play non-conference doubleheaders versus Lipscomb on April 10th, Alabama A&M on April 18th, Evansville on April 25th and Middle Tennessee on May 3rd.
The OVC Tournament will be held on May 12-14 at the site of the regular-season champion.
