FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University softball team and head coach Lesa Boneè announced the 2011 slate on Monday, which features three away tournaments, with the Sharks tackling a 56-game schedule and five NCAA postseason opponents.
Click
HERE for the entire 2011 schedule.
The Sharks, who finished 45-17 overall and 19-5 in conference play last season, will have 56 games including 24 SSC matches during the 2011 year.
“The schedule is less this year because of the new NCAA rule of 56 total games, so we will play less games this year as a program than ever before,” said Boneè. “We work hard in the weight room, so physically we will be ready so we can be ready on the field early in the season. We will play five teams early in the season that ended their season regionally ranked last year, while playing three nationally ranked teams in the first part of the season, and that’s ok because that is how we are going to get better. We have seven new kids, and that is exactly what they need to see to start their career and improve.”
NSU will open the season with a doubleheader on Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. against the Bobcats of St. Thomas.
Following its season-opener, the Sharks will get into the meat of its schedule as they will participate in three consecutive tournaments.
“It’s not unusual for us to play a lot of games early in the season,” said Boneè. “My philosophy is that since we do not have a conference tournament, we can not win it. You have to get to the regional tournament by regional rankings, so we schedule regional games.”
NSU will start the tournament portion of their schedule by traveling to Pensacola to battle North Alabama, Delta State and West Florida in doubleheaders over the weekend of Feb. 11-13 in the West Florida Tournament. The games against West Florida will be the first two of 11 against NCAA postseason teams.
The Sharks will see another weekend of exciting softball action, Feb. 25-27, when NSU travels to Clearwater, Fla. for the Eckerd Tournament where the Sharks are awaiting for its list of opponents.
Boneè and the Sharks will break for a midweek game as they host Mercyhurst on Mar. 2nd beginning at 5 p.m.
For the third consecutive weekend, NSU will undertake six difference opponents in three days. In its first out of state tournament, the Sharks open against host West Georgia on Mar. 4th. The Sharks will also face Augusta State (Mar. 4), Alabama-Huntsville (March 5), North Alabama (March 5), Davis & Elkins (March 6) and Georgia Southwestern (March 6) in the West Georgia Tournament.
The Sharks will travel to Tampa a day early to face UNC-Pembroke on Mar. 11 before it kicks off conference play.
NSU and the Spartans of Tampa will face-off on March 12 to begin a three-game series with first pitch slated for 6 p.m., followed by doubleheader starting at noon on March 13.
The following weekend the Sharks will square off against defending SSC champion and NCAA Regional qualifier Rollins at the AD Griffin Sports Complex. The Sharks and Tars will play in a three-game series on March 18-19 with a 7 p.m. matchup on Friday, followed by an 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. The Tars knocked the Sharks out of the NCAA tournament last season.
“Our players know to play the game well, so it doesn’t matter who we play,” said Bonee. “We play Rollins earlier this year, which is different than last year. I have seven new kids and they do not know who Rollins is, so I kind of like that.”
Palm Beach will then host the Sharks on March 23 for a doubleheader with a 6 p.m. start time.
Eckerd is next on the list for NSU as they come to town during the weekend of March 25-26 for a three-game series. Friday, March 25, the Tritons and the Sharks will compete at 7 p.m. before battling in doubleheader action at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
NSU will head north on I-95 to face Florida Tech in Melbourne, Fla. The Sharks will look to tame the Panthers in the three-game series beginning on March 29. Slated for a 3 p.m. start, the Sharks will play one game on Tuesday before turning around with a doubleheader on Wednesday beginning at 1 p.m.
The Sharks will brawl with cross town rival Barry in Miami Shores on April 1-2.
Saint Leo will travel to the confines of Fort Lauderdale to take on NSU over the weekend of April 9-10 for a two-day series of conference action before the Sharks conclude their home slate with conference foe Lynn, on April 21-22.
Between the Saint Leo and Lynn series, the Sharks will tackle two non-conference opponents with doubleheaders against Palm Beach Atlantic (April 15) and St. Thomas (April 19).
The Sharks will conclude the 2011 season with SSC-member Florida Southern. The Moccasins are another team that NSU will face that has a historically strong program. The two teams will battle during the weekend of April 28-29 in Lakeland, Fla., with a single game on Thursday at 7 p.m., followed with doubleheader action at 1 p.m. on Friday.
NSU returns a group of talented, young players from last season as eight familiar faces will flaunt the blue and silver for the 2011 season. Joining those eight veterans will be an exceptional group of newcomers as seven new faces join the NSU softball program. Bonee returns to the baseline for her ninth season as the Sharks' skipper after leading NSU to NCAA Regional appearances the past two seasons.
