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Six teams from NCAA Tournament play and a trip to
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 6, 2009) - When looking at the 2010 ETSU softball schedule two words come to mind - "Road Warriors."
The Lady Bucs, who kick off the season with 24 consecutive road games, face six teams from NCAA Tournament play a year ago, as head ETSU softball coach Andrea Mangrum released the 2010 schedule on Friday afternoon.
"I think playing 24 straight road games will bring this team closer," added Mangrum. "We wanted try to utilize our new stadium early in the season, but due to the weather conditions in East Tennessee we are forced to play in warmer climates."
ETSU kicks off the season playing in five tournaments - which begins on Feb. 13 in
Following their stint in
From there, the Lady Bucs continue with tournament play in
The Lady Bucs finally play their first set of games inside the Volunteer state in 2010 when ETSU makes the journey to
ETSU wraps up its tournament play when the Lady Bucs make their longest road trip in school history, and seniors Marissa Hardy (Rocklin) and Cheniece Cason (
"I feel all four of these tournaments will test the girls each and every weekend," Mangrum said. "Each tournament features teams from the top conferences, and opponents who reached the NCAA Tournament last season. I always feel in order to become stronger you have to play teams that are very successful, and I believe this format achieves that goal in 2010."
"The trip to
After the 24-game road trip - which covers four tournaments in four different states - the Lady Bucs finally say hello to
"The home-opener is always an exciting game, and I am sure the team will be ready to protect their home turf," mentioned Mangrum. "The early road games are critical, so we can enter the home-opener on a high note and have the stadium filled for the game against Presbyterian."
The home stand doesn't last long for the Lady Bucs, as Mangrum's squad embarks on a three-game road swing to close out the month of March. ETSU begins Atlantic Sun Conference play with a series in the
"Opening A-Sun play in
Once again the Lady Bucs return home for a brief two-game home stand when conference contenders Stetson and FGCU visit the newly built ETSU Softball Complex. The Lady Bucs host the Hatters on April 2 and Eagles on April 3.
During the final stretch of the season, the Lady Bucs split time both at home and on the road. ETSU travels to Blacksburg for a night game with Virginia Tech on April 6, before heading down to Florida for a critical A-Sun showdown with Jacksonville (April 9) and North Florida (April 10). Other road swings include a trip to
Following a trip to USC Upstate on April 25, the Lady Bucs wrap up regular play with a three-series home stand starting on April 28 against
The Atlantic Sun Tournament and automatic bid to the NCAA Regional will again take place in
"The team knows what the goal is entering the season, and they know the journey to an A-Sun Championship won't be easy," said Mangrum. "They know the hard work in the fall and preseason will eventually pay off when the regular season rolls around. We can't take any opponent lightly and have to play fundamentally smart ball each time we take the field. If we follow this recipe, we know our goals can be reached."
For more information regarding Lady Buccaneer softball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.