McKendree University second year head softball coach Heather Tarter has released her program's 50-game 2023 schedule on Friday.
The Bearcats, who return its top pitcher and five position starters, including unanimous 2022 First-Team All-American senior utility player Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne), are scheduled to play nine doubleheaders (18 games) at home at Bearcat Field and will play in three in-season tournaments.
McKendree, who went 20-24 overall and 12-16 in the GLVC in 2022, opens the 2023 season at the Music City Invitational on Feb. 17-19 in Smyrna, Tenn. The Bearcats will face Cedarville and Tiffin on Friday, Feb. 17 to open the season. On Saturday, Feb. 18, McKendree will face Harding and Ashland and then will conclude the season opening event on Sunday, Feb. 19 against Ferris State and Kentucky Wesleyan.
Following the Music City Invitational, the Bearcats will compete the next weekend (Feb. 24-26) at the Independence Bank Blue Ridge Battle in Owensboro, Ky. The Bearcats will open that event on Friday, Feb. 24 against Northwood (Mich.) University and Davis & Elkins, before meeting Trevecca Nazarene and Cedarville on Saturday, Feb. 25. McKendree will conclude the tournament on Sunday, Feb. 26 against Davenport and tournament host, Kentucky Wesleyan.
After opening the 2023 season with 12 games at two in-season tournaments, the Bearcats will open its home schedule with a doubleheader on Friday, March 3 against Wisconsin-Parkside. The doubleheader will begin at 12 p.m.
McKendree will then play four games over two days on March 4-5 at the UIS Invitational in Springfield, Ill. At the tournament, McKendree will face Upper Iowa and Purdue Northwest on Saturday, March 4, before facing Hillsdale and Upper Iowa the following day on Sunday, March 5.
Following the UIS Invitational, McKendree will return home to host Lincoln (Mo.) University in doubleheader on Tuesday, March 7, before playing a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday, March 11 at Maryville and then will return home to host a doubleheader against Harris-Stowe State University on Wednesday, March 15.
The Bearcats will open its slate of 20 GLVC games on Saturday, March 18 against Lewis University, before traveling the following day on Sunday, March 19 to play a doubleheader at the University of Indianapolis and then play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 25 at Quincy University.
McKendree will close the month of March with home GLVC doubleheader on Sunday, March 26 against Illinois-Springfield. The Bearcats will then open the month of April back-to-back doubleheaders on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 against William Jewell College and Truman State University respectively.
Following their four-game homestand, the Bearcats will hit the road for three consecutive doubleheaders beginning on Wednesday, April 5 against Lincoln (Mo.) University. After the Lincoln doubleheader, the Bearcats will travel to Bolivar, Mo., for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 15 against Southwest Baptist, before concluding the road swing with a doubleheader on Sunday, April 16 against Rockhurst University.
The Bearcats will then return home to Bearcat Field for a doubleheaders on Saturday, April 22 against Missouri S&T, Sunday, April 23 against Drury University and Saturday, April 29 against Maryville University. The final doubleheader of the 2023 regular season is scheduled for Sunday, April 30 at UMSL.
The GLVC Tournament is scheduled for May 4-7 at the EastSide Centre in Peoria, Ill., and will once again feature the top eight teams in the final league standings playing in a double-elimination tournament.
Original source can be found here
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