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Nov. 17, 2008

URBANA, Ill. - University of Illinois head softball coach Terri Sullivan announced Monday her team's rigorous schedule for the upcoming 2009 season. The Illini take the field this season with 13 returning letterwinners from last year's squad prepared to face ten opponents that earned NCAA Tournament berths in 2008.

The Illini also will play five teams that advanced to the 2008 NCAA Super Regionals, including two that qualified for the Women's College World Series. Throughout the season the Orange and Blue encounter eight squads that completed the 2008 campaign ranked in the top 25.

Illinois will hit the road to start the season Feb. 6-8, playing five tournaments in consecutive weekends beginning in Palm Springs, Calif. in the Cathedral City Kick Off, highlighted by a matchup with NCAA Regional qualifier, Long Beach State. The team then goes south to the Wilson Tournament in Tampa, Fla. where Sullivan and the Illini will face USF and perennial power Arizona, both of which were qualifiers for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Next up for the Orange and Blue is the Marriot Houston Classic in Houston, Texas including a contest with last year's Super Regional qualifier and tournament host Houston.

The Illini head back to Florida the first weekend of March to face another set of challenging opponents in Gainesville. Illinois will top off the weekend with a doubleheader against the No. 1 overall seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and College World Series qualifier, Florida. Sullivan's squad wraps up the tournament tour in Rock Hill, S.C. at the Cox Communications Invitational on March 13-14, before returning to Illinois.

The team will make trips to a pair of in-state foes in Illinois State and Southern Illinois on March 17 and 19, respectively. The Orange and Blue open their Big Ten campaign at Eichelberger Field when the team hosts Penn State on March 21-22. Sullivan's alma mater, Loyola-Chicago will also make a trip to Urbana later that week, along with a DePaul team that qualified for last year's NCAA Regionals.

In an always-tough Big Ten slate, Illinois continues the homestand against Michigan State March 28-29 before hitting the road for the first conference away game of the season. The Orange and Blue travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for a doubleheader against the Hawkeyes, one of four Big Ten teams that qualified for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. After a trip to Wisconsin, the Illini return home to host Illinois State and Bradley before traveling to Ohio State.

Illinois continues the Big Ten schedule at home with a doubleheader against Indiana on April 15, then welcomes 2008 Super Regional participant Michigan on April 18-19 for a pair of games. The Illini wrap up the non-conference schedule at Eastern Illinois on April 23 before concluding the home portion of the season against another Super Regional qualifier in Northwestern on April 25-26. The final stretch will pit the Illini against a pair of conference foes on the road, as the Orange and Blue will play a doubleheader against Purdue before finishing the regular season at Minnesota May 2-3.