Sept. 19, 2001

2002 Otahkian Softball Schedule

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.- The 2002 Southeast Missouri State Otahkian softball schedule has been finalized as announced by head coach Lana Richmond on Wednesday.

The Otahkians finished the 2001 season at 25-25 due in-part to a brutal non-conference schedule. Southeast will once again face a top-notch schedule before opening Ohio Valley Conference play.

The season will kick off the first weekend of March when Southeast will host their annual tournament. This year's field includes teams from Conference USA, the Missouri Valley and Southeastern conferences. The teams include: Creighton, Indiana State, Ole Miss, Iowa State and Saint Louis. The tournament will take on a round-robin format where the team with the best record will be the champion.

Over spring break, the team will travel to Rock Hill, S.C. to compete in the Winthrop Tournament, which annuals draws top teams from all over the country. This years field includes: Birmingham Southern, Campbell, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Gardner-Webb, Illinois, Jacksonville State, Mercer, Michigan State, Morehead State, Morgan State, North Carolina A&T, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John's, Tennessee State, Tulsa and Winthrop.

Other non-conference games include a home-and-home series with Southern Illinois and away doubleheaders at College of Charleston, Missouri, Saint Louis and Southwest Missouri and a home doubleheader against Loyola.

Coach Richmond is excited about the schedule. "This is a highly competitive schedule," Richmond said. "We are blending some top South region competition on the road with some of the top teams in the Midwest coming to Cape Girardeau. Right off the bat we will have five top teams coming to our tournament to open the season. It will be a tough pre-conference schedule but it will prepare us for the OVC race."