EASTON, Mass. (January 25, 2023)- Stonehill College softball Head Coach Ali Maloof announced the 2023 Skyhawks schedule Wednesday. The Skyhawks' 2023 slate includes 21 Northeast Conference games across seven-weekend series, as well as 26 matchups against non-conference opponents which include the University of Utah who ranked within the top 50 of last year's final rankings (No. 47).
"We are very excited to get the season going earlier than in past years," said Maloof. "We are ready for all the challenges of this transition and very thrilled about the schedule we have. I believe we are going to be competing with some of the best Division I softball programs in the country. We are blessed to be in this position and our student-athletes come every day working their hardest to get prepared for the schedule ahead of us."
Stonehill opens the year with 24 consecutive road games, including two tournaments on the road. The Skyhawks will open the season at the La Jolla Invitational (Feb. 10-12) in La Jolla, Calif against Utah, UC San Diego, and the University of Northern Colorado.
The Skyhawks will then travel back to the east coast for a tournament in Miami, Fla. at the FIU Classic (March 4-6) taking on Stony Brook University, Florida International University, and the University of Nevada. The squad will stay in Florida for two more doubleheaders against Florida Atlantic University on Tuesday, March 7, and Florida Gulf Coast University on Wednesday, March 8.
After a few days off from their Florida trip, Stonehill is back stateside traveling to UMass Lowell for a mid-week doubleheader on Wednesday, March 15. Later in the week, the Skyhawks kick off NEC play by going to Saint Francis University for a weekend set starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 19, and finishing up the next day with a single game. Stonehill then heads out to Providence for another non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, March 22. To wrap up the week, the Skyhawks take on NEC member, Wagner College for a weekend set starting March 25.
The squad will make their home debut at Father Gartland Field on Wednesday, March 29 with a doubleheader against The College of the Holy Cross. After taking on Holy Cross, Stonehill hosts their first home NEC weekend set on Saturday, April 1 versus Sacred Heart University.
Once their brief five-game homestand ends, Stonehill is quickly back out on the road for an NEC weekend set with Merrimack beginning with a doubleheader on Friday, April 7, and then finishing up on Saturday, April 8. Later in the middle of the next week, the Skyhawks have another non-conference doubleheader traveling to the University of Rhode Island on Wednesday, April 12.
Stonehill then returns to Father Gartland Field for a season-long 10-game homestand that features matchups with Long Island University (April 15-16), Bryant University (Tuesday, April 18), Fairleigh Dickinson University (April 22-23), and then concludes with a doubleheader against the University of Maine, Wednesday, April 26.
After their long homestand, Stonehill concludes the 2023 season with an NEC road trip traveling to Central Connecticut State University for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 29, and then a single game on Sunday, April 30.
As a team, the Skyhawks finished last year 15-23 (11-15 NE10) which marked a 10-win improvement and was the second-largest turnaround in program history.
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