The season opens on February 9
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With the calendar turning to 2024 in the coming weeks, University of Evansville head softball coach Mat Mundell has announced the upcoming spring schedule.
Friday, February 9 will mark the opening day for the Purple Aces as they will be in Elon, N.C. for the Elon Softball Classic. A big test awaits UE out of the gate when they face Miami Ohio. The RedHawks are the defending Mid-American Conference Champions and won two games in the NCAA Regionals. Miami won 39 games a season ago. Opening weekend will see the Aces face Kent State on two occasions, Elon and a rematch versus Miami.
Evansville’s home tournament will be held on Feb. 17-18 at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium. Miami Ohio and Austin Peay will be the opponents with the Aces facing both teams twice. Another road trip is set for the 23rd-25th when UE travels to Monroe, La. for the Best on the Bayou Tournament. The opposition that weekend includes Northwestern State, Syracuse, Sam Houston, and UL Monroe.
March begins with the Low Country Classic in Charleston, S.C. Running from March 1-3, the tournament includes Buffalo, College of Charleston and Wofford, who is playing its inaugural season of softball. On March 6, UE returns home for a doubleheader against Lindenwood before making the short trip to Louisville for the Bellarmine Tournament. Evansville faces the Knights in three games along with one contest versus St. Bonaventure.
Missouri Valley Conference play opens with home games versus Indiana State on March 12 and 13. The Sycamores tied for 4th in the league last season and won 32 games. In its first-weekend conference series, the Aces play host to Valparaiso from the 15th to the 17th. SIU Edwardsville comes to town on the 19th for a single game.
In its first league road trip, the Aces head to Belmont for the weekend of the 22nd and head back home to complete the month with a home series versus UIC. USI will mark the final non-conference opponent of the regular season. The Aces host the Screaming Eagles on April 3. Two MVC road series are up next when UE travels to Drake (April 5-7) and Southern Illinois (April 12-24).
Murray State comes to Evansville for a 3-game series running from the 19th through the 21st. In their first season in the Valley, the Racers tied for fourth and won a total of 33 games. On April 24, the Aces head to Terre Haute for a single game at Indiana State before playing their final home weekend, welcoming Missouri State. The Bears finished second in the conference last year, going 21-6 against league opposition. Senior weekend is set for April 26-28.
Regular-season play wraps up with a road series at Illinois State from May 3-5. Normal, Ill. will also be the site of the 2024 MVC Championship from May 8-11.
