2012 Schedule Update!

Over the course of the summer these posts will pop up as more and more is learned about next year's schedule

Feel free to email, comment, or tweet any schedule news that you have atlantic10softball@gmail.com

Weekend #1 February 10-12
FIU Combat Classic will feature host FIU, UMass, Illinois, Louisville, UAB, Michigan State

Analysis: After getting off to a rocky start in 2011, UMass will look to get off to a strong start on the opening weekend in 2012. UMass had a great opening weekend at FIU in 2010 and the Minutewomen will try to do the same in 2012. All six teams in this tournament are fairly even on paper and they should all be in the hunt for a bid to Regionals at the end of the year. This tournament is not too tough for UMass, nor is it too easy, Coach Elaine Sortino found a great tournament to start the Minutewomen's season.

Additional comments: Teams that start on the first weekend generally tend to do better on the field and hopefully other A10 teams have picked up on that. Every A10 team should try to get out on the field as soon as possible. When teams start later, they end up going up against teams that have already had one, two, or possibly three weeks of play, putting teams at a serious disadvantage.

Weekend #2 February 17-19
ECU Tournament will feature host East Carolina, Fordham, Virginia, and UNC Greensboro

Analysis: After losing an amazing senior class, Fordham will look to get off to a fast start and build some confidence for its young squad. This is a great tournament for the Rams, as it features some young and beatable teams. Fordham should do well at this tournament with its biggest test coming from Virginia.

Weekend #3 February 24-26
Cathedral City Classic will feature host Oregon State, Fordham, Arizona, Boise State, BYU, Cal Poly, California, Colorado State, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Florida, Fresno State, Georgia, Iowa, Iowa State, Long Beach State, Long Island, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Pacific, SDSU, Stanford, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, UC Davis, UCLA, Washington

Analysis: This is the best tournament in the nation and in 2012 it will feature 5 WCWS teams, including 2011 runner up Florida. Coach Bridget Orchard likes to challenge her squad against the best teams in the nation and the Rams will certainly be put to the test. This is one of those instances where the nation is watching and Fordham has an opportunity to really put itself in a good position for an at large bid if they can pick up some wins. This is the tournament that all A10 teams should strive to attend.

NFCA Leadoff Classic will feature UMass, Boston University, USF, and many other teams that have not been announced yet

Analysis: The Leadoff Classic was once the premier college softball tournament in the country, but due to the Cathedral City Classic and consistent bad weather year in and year out in Columbus, GA, it has lost a bit of its luster, including a hiatus in 2011. The Leadoff Classic is back and it will be played in Clearwater, FL at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. The move to Clearwater with its wonderful weather could lead to a rebirth of this tournament. This tournament will challenge UMass, though it will not be as brutal as the Cathedral City Classic was for the Minutewomen last year. After seeing the Cathedral City Classic field, the Leadoff Classic will likely include many of the top teams on the east coast, especially teams from the Big Ten, ACC, and SEC.

USC Upstate Tournament will feature host USC Upstate, La Salle, and some other teams that haven't been announced

Analysis: This is a good tournament for the Explorers to attend. USC Upstate is a very solid team in the Atlantic Sun and they should test La Salle early. The other teams at the tournament probably won't be as tough as USC Upstate and La Salle should be able to pick up some wins. La Salle needs to build some confidence early and this is a great tournament to do that.

Coastal Carolina Tournament will feature host Coastal Carolina, Temple, and some other teams that haven't been announced yet

Analysis: Temple is going to be a young, but experienced team in 2012 and they will look to pick up some wins down in Conway, SC. Coastal Carolina is a solid team, but with the way Temple played last year, the Owls should do well on this weekend. It will be interesting to see the other teams that end up going to this tournament.

Weekend #4 March 2-4
Citrus Classic will feature Fordham, Temple, Auburn, Baylor, Long Island, Louisiana-Lafayette, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and some others that haven't been announced

Analysis: The Citrus Classic is quickly becoming one of the top tournaments in the country and for the second straight year Fordham and Temple will be apart of it. Both the Rams and the Owls will be put to the test, but they will be better because of it both in terms of RPI and being ready for conference play. Another great aspect of this tournament is that a select number of games will be streamed on ESPN3.com, which is wonderful exposure. This is another tournament that A10 teams should look to attend in future years.

Weekend #5 March 9-11
USF Under Armour Showcase will feature host USF, Fordham, Temple, Boston University, Canisius, ETSU, Long Island, Virginia Tech and other teams that haven't been announced

Analysis: Over the years, A10 teams have performed well at USF tournaments and hopefully this year will be no different. USF's tournaments feature a wide range of teams ranging from powerhouses to cupcakes and it will be interesting to see how the rest of the field shapes up. It is also fairly likely that a couple other A10 teams will also attend this tournament.

War Eagle Classic will feature host Auburn, George Washington, Drexel, Evansville, Louisiana Tech, and Presbyterian

Analysis: George Washington has played a rather mundane schedule for the past few seasons, but 2nd year Coach Stacey Schramm has this program on the upswing and she is going to challenge her squad. This tournament will give the opportunity to go up against an SEC power, while also getting a chance to pick up some wins against the other teams that will be attending the tournament.

Coastal Carolina Tournament will feature host Coastal Carolina, La Salle, and some other teams that are not known at this point in time

Analysis: After a rough 2011 campaign, La Salle needs to challenge itself in nonconference play, but they also need to pick up wins to build some confidence. This is another opportunity for the Explorers to do just that and they will need to be ready to play.

Weekend #6 March 16-18
James Madison Tournament will feature host James Madison, Fordham, and Pittsburgh

Analysis: This is a solid tournament, but it is also one that Fordham should do well at. James Madison and Pittsburgh are both solid teams and they should challenge the Rams, but Fordham is just too talented at the end of the day. This tournament won't be a big RPI boost, but it won't hurt RPI either.

UMBC Spring Classic will feature hosts UMBC and Coppin State, as well as Rhode Island, Cornell, Georgetown, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, Siena, and St. Francis

Analysis: Hopefully Rhode Island can pick up some wins at this tournament, otherwise it is absolutely going to decimate the Rams' and as a result the conference's RPI. If A10 teams are going to attend weaker tournaments, they must pick up wins. Some of these teams could be solid, but this is not a tournament that an A10 team should be at.

Delaware State Tournament will feature host Delaware State, La Salle, and some teams that haven't been announced yet

Analysis: Along the same lines as Rhode Island at the UMBC Tournament, La Salle must pick up wins at this tournament. Otherwise the Explorers could once again drag down the RPI of the rest of the A10.

Additional comments: The A10 has received multiple bids twice and the conference has the talent to do it almost every year. However, that means that every team in the conference needs to make a conscious effort to schedule tough games and there are some teams that are hurting others' postseason chances because they are unwilling to schedule tougher games.