2010 Schedule (Word)

RADFORD, Va. – Coming off its first Big South Championship and NCAA Regional appearance, Radford softball, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Mickey Dean, has put together a challenging 2010 schedule. The slate includes an invite to the 2010 NFCA Leadoff Classic, three recent Women's College World Series participants and a rematch with NCAA Regional opponent North Carolina.

Additionally, Radford will host the Highlander Classic, welcome back a former assistant, and head to Clearwater, Fla. for a pair of spring break tournaments.

“Once again we have tried to put together a schedule that is very challenging” says Dean. “Several of our opponents have participated in the College World Series over the past three years, including Louisiana-Lafayette, Missouri and Virginia Tech.”

Radford opens the 2010 campaign with a familiar opponent in 2008 WCWS participant Virginia Tech, beginning a stretch of 18 away or neutral site contests to begin the season.

The Highlanders and Hokies will square off in the first of two single-game matchups on Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. in Blacksburg. The teams will wrap up their series on April 14 at 7 p.m. in Radford.

The trend of WCWS opponents continues into the weekend when Radford will take part in the prestigious NFCA Leadoff Classic from Feb. 26-28 in Columbus, Ga. The invite-only tournament is highlighted by contests against Louisiana-Lafayette (2007) and Missouri (2009) which sandwich games versus solid squads in Kent State, Illinois and Illinois State.

After a doubleheader at NCAA Regional opponent North Carolina on March 2, Radford heads to the Sunshine State for a pair of five-game tournaments hosted by USF in Clearwater, Fla.

At the Under Armour Showcase (March 5-7), the Highlanders will tangle with UAB, Toledo, St. Joseph's Villanova and Central Michigan. They will conclude their trip at the Under Armour Invitational by taking on Fairfield, Ball State, Middle Tennessee State, Temple and Boston College.

RU Softball Field will be a familiar place for the Highlanders starting with its doubleheader against Georgia Southern, as they will play all 18 of their home games in a one-month span from March 16 to April 14.

Just two days after returning from Florida, Radford makes its 2010 home debut hosting Georgia Southern in a twinbill on March 16. The Highlanders welcome back second-year GSU skipper and former Highlander assistant Maggie Johnson, who will be returning to Radford for the first time since taking over the helm of the Eagles in 2008-09.

Radford begins its defense of the Big South regular and tournament championship at home on March 18 against in-state and conference rival Liberty. It will be a rematch of the 2009 championship series in which the Lady Flames won the first game 5-3, before the Highlanders clinched its first tournament title with a 10-1 victory.

Following those doubleheaders, Radford will host the four-team Highlander Classic for the second consecutive season and fourth time overall. The Highlanders welcome Kent State, Albany and Siena for this two-day event on March 20 and 21.

Radford concludes its stretch of home games with a trifecta of three-game sets against Charleston Southern (March 27-28), Gardner-Webb (April 2-3) and Presbyterian (April 10-11), along with its single game against Virginia Tech. During that time, the Highlanders will hit the road for a single game against Liberty (March 23), and doubleheaders at Longwood (March 31) and 2009 CAA champion James Madison (April 7).

After Radford concludes the home portion of the schedule, its final 10 games will be on the road at Coastal Carolina (April 17-18), Virginia (April 21), Winthrop (April 23-24) and East Tennessee State (May 7).

The 2010 Big South Softball Championships, hosted by Coastal Carolina, will be held from May 13-15 at the CCU Softball Field.

“We try to put together a schedule that will prepare us for post season play and we feel that we have achieved that,” says Dean. “Our team is excited and we look for to the upcoming season.”

Radford returns seven starters from a squad that posted a 41-15 record in 2009 and one of four Division I softball programs to win 40-plus games the past four seasons.