FRISCO, Texas – The 2021 Southland Conference softball season officially begins Thursday, Feb. 11, marking opening day for three Southland schools. Thursday’s action will consist of four contests, followed by 21 games on Friday, 21 games on Saturday and nine games on Sunday for a total of 55 contests throughout the entirety of the first weekend.
Thursday’s action begins at 12:30 p.m., when Abilene Christian squares off against host UTEP, followed by a game with preseason No. 4 Oklahoma. Southeastern Louisiana’s opening pitch against South Dakota is slated for 5 p.m. Thursday at North Oak Park in Hammond, La. McNeese is also set for a 5 p.m. battle of its own on the road against No. 5 LSU at the LSU Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, La., which will be streamed on SEC+ Network.
Friday’s play begins at 9 a.m. in Baton Rouge, La., with McNeese’s opening game of a doubleheader against Kansas, continuing its play at the LSU Tiger Classic. The rest of the 11 Southland schools will be in action throughout the remainder of the day, including Southland preseason favorite Stephen F. Austin at 11 a.m. against Utah Valley at the Aggie Classic in College Station, Texas. Friday culminates with a 7 p.m. matchup between Central Arkansas and LSU at the Tigers’ tournament.
Saturday’s 21-game slate features 11 Southland schools in competition throughout the day, beginning with a pair of 10 a.m. contests that pits McNeese against No. 25 Duke and Nicholls against SIU-Edwardsville. Southeastern Louisiana has the final game of the day, as the Lady Lions take on North Texas at home, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Sunday’s festivities begin with two 10 a.m. matchups between Northwestern State and Evansville in Natchitoches, La., and Sam Houston on the road against No. 6 Texas. Lamar will close out the afternoon at home with its second game of a doubleheader at 3 p.m. against Texas Southern.
Throughout the opening weekend of play, all 12 Southland institutions will begin their seasons. The 2021 season leads up to the Southland Conference Tournament, which will be hosted by Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La. The tournament field will consist of eight teams and is scheduled for May 11-14 at North Oak Park on the SLU campus.
{Courtesy: Press Release from the Southland Conference}
