Full Schedule
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team announced a 56-game slate that will take the team across the country from California to Florida and throughout the Midwest, including contests against 12 teams that participated in last year's NCAA Regionals and six teams that ended the year in the NFCA Top 25. Four of Purdue's foes went on to the Super Regionals, while No. 6 Kentucky competed in the Women's College World Series.
The Boilers will play 30 non-conference tournament games, five per weekend from Feb. 6 to March 13, before beginning the home and Big Ten slates. Once kicking off Big Ten play on March 20, the Boilermakers will play 23 conference games, while mixing in three non-conference contests.
Purdue will play 14 home games at the new Boilermaker Softball Stadium, including four Big Ten series and non-conference games with Ball State and Indiana State. Opening weekend at the stadium will be March 20-22 against Wisconsin. The April 10-12 series against Nebraska will mark the dedication of the facility.
The Boilermakers will be tested early as they begin the 2015 slate at the So Cal College Challenge in Fullerton and Los Angeles, Calif., Feb. 6-8 where they will play four games against NCAA Tournament teams. The Boilers will face San Diego State twice, as well as Cal State Fullerton, No. 9 UCLA and No. 25 Texas A&M. The SDSU Aztecs are coming off their seventh consecutive NCAA appearance and a season which saw them finish 40-19 and win their third straight Mountain West title with a 16-8 mark. The Cal State Fullerton Titans went 33-21-1 last year, marking their best record since 2007, including a third place finish in Big West play. No. 9 UCLA posted a 52-8 mark, including a second place 19-5 Pac-12 finish while advancing to the Super Regionals. The No. 25 Texas A&M Aggies went 37-22 and advanced to the NCAA Regionals, while finishing 11th in SEC play.
Purdue will then make its first of three trips to Florida for the Florida International Tournament in Miami, Feb. 13-15. The Boilermakers will take on Long Island and Florida International twice each, while also facing Memphis at the event. LIU went 22-34 and finished fourth in Northeastern Conference play, while FIU was 33-20 a year ago including a third place Conference USA placing. The Memphis Tigers were 23-33 and finished seventh in the American Athletic Conference.
The Boilers make a trip to Fort Myers, Fla., for the FGCU/Four Points By Sheraton Invitational, Feb. 20-22. The team will play Stony Brook, Oakland and the host Florida Gulf Coast Eagles plus two more contests to be determined by tournament standings. Stony Brooke was 34-18 in 2014 including a first place finish in America East play, while FGCU went 33-26-1 including a sixth place Atlantic Sun placing. Oakland is looking to build on a 16-23 record and seventh place Horizon League finish.
The Boilermakers make their first of two trips to Tennessee, playing at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Feb. 27-March 1. Purdue will play Belmont, Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech and No. 6 Kentucky. The No. 6 Wildcats finished the year 50-19 and in sixth place in the SEC before advancing to the Women's College World Series. Belmont is coming off a 13-26 season and fifth place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference east division. Ohio was 32-26 including the Mid-American Conference tournament title and a fourth-place east division finish before advancing to the NCAA Regionals. Eastern Kentucky posted a 29-22 mark and second place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference east division, while Tennessee Tech was 22-28 and third in the OVC east division.
The Boilers head back to the Volunteer state for the University of Tennessee Tournament, March 6-8 in Knoxville, which will feature three NCAA Tournament teams. The Boilermakers will take on Indiana State, BYU, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa and the host No. 12 Vols. The ISU Sycamores went 27-26 and finished 10th in Missouri Valley Conference play, while the UNI Panthers were 28-20 and finished fifth in the Missouri Valley. BYU posted a 34-23 mark, finished first in the West Coast Conference and made an NCAA Regional appearance, while the NDSU Bison registered a 36-18 mark and won the Summit League earning an NCAA berth. The No. 12 Tennessee Vols were 46-12 in 2014, finished second in the Southeastern Conference and went on to the NCAA Super Regionals.
Purdue wraps up its non-conference tournament slate at the Michelle Smith Spring Break tournament in Clearwater, Fla. Northern Illinois, Long Island, Quinnipiac, St. Joseph's and Florida A&M make up the slate. All five teams will be looking to build on sub-.500 seasons. Northern Illinois was 26-31 and finished third in the Mid-American Conference west division, while Quinnipiac was 11-365 and finished ninth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. St. Joseph's posted a 16-28 mark and finished third in the Atlantic 10, while Florida A&M was 25-28 and finished second int eh Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference southern division.
The Boilermakers then open the Big Ten and home campaigns with a three-game series against Wisconsin, which was 36-20, finished fourth in conference play and advanced to the NCAAs. A three-game slate with Rutgers and a contest with Ball State wrap up a seven-game homestand. Rutgers was 28-19 and finished fifth in American Athletic Conference play in 2014. Ball State was 33-19 and won their fifth straight Mid-American Conference regular season title.
A three-game road series at Northwestern and a midweek doubleheader at Indiana will set up the dedication weekend homestand with Nebraska, April 10-12. An April 17-19 series with Iowa and an April 29 game with Indiana State wrap up the home slate. The Boilermakers will also face IPFW, Illinois and Minnesota on the road.
Northwestern (35-18, 5th Big Ten) played in the NCAA Regionals, while No. 16 Nebraska (44-18, T-1st B1G) and No. 15 Minnesota (44-12, 3rd B1G) advanced to the Super Regionals.
The Boilermakers posted a 27-28-1 mark and finished sixth in Big Ten play in 2014.