2015 Schedule | Printable Schedule

DEKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University softball team released its 2015 schedule Tuesday, a slate that includes 17 home games on 12 different dates.
 
The Huskies will also face three teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament a season ago.
 
"I definitely think we have a nice balance of RPI schools of teams that we're expecting to beat and teams that we know we're going to have to put our best game together in order to come out on top and stay competitive," said NIU Head Coach Christina Sutcliffe. "That was kind of the goal to get a good mix so that we can be in the best situation heading into the MAC.
 
NIU lifts the lid on the season Feb. 6-8 when they compete in the Texas State Classic in San Marcos, Texas. The Huskies are slated to take on ACC member Pittsburgh, Sam Houston State and the host Bobcats in the tournament, with two games each against Pitt and TSU. After a weekend off, the Huskies return to the South, this time in Alabama for the Troy Invitational.
 
NIU closes out February and opens March in Tennessee with the UTM Invitational hosted by UT Martin. Along with the Skyhawks, the Huskies will also get a pair of games against Southeastern Louisiana and a single game with IUPUI.
 
The Huskies' first contest in Illinois comes the next weekend with a trip down to Carbondale for Southern Illinois' Coach B Classic. NIU opens and closes the tournament against the in-state rival Salukis with games against 2014 NCAA qualifier DePaul and Murrary State sandwiched in between.
 
From Carbondale, NIU embarks on its Spring Break trip down to sunny Florida. After opening the week with games against Jacksonville State and Central Florida in Orlando, the Huskies will take part in the USF Spring Break Tournament in Clearwater. The tournament opens for NIU against Big Ten foe Purdue, followed by matchups with Yale, Canisius, Quinnipiac and UMass Lowell. The Huskies return to the diamond 10 days later for a doubleheader at Illinois State.
 
The Huskies' MAC season opens March 27 with a doubleheader at Mary M. Bell Field against defending Mid-American Conference champion Ohio. NIU caps the conference- and home-opening weekend with single games against Akron.
 
"I think when you are on the road that long and then you can stay home for a little bit, it helps with the wear and tear on your body at that point in the season," Sutcliffe said. "To have a little bit of relief from (travel), that is an advantage. In the same sense, we have a little more pressure playing at home in front of the home crowd. A lot more distractions, but our kids are pretty focused now and are doing a really good job of taking each day as it is and attack it."
 
The home games continue into Easter weekend when NIU welcomes Bowling Green to town for a April 3 twinbill, followed by games on Saturday and Sunday against Toledo. The 10-game homestand ends on April 8 with a doubleheader against Chicagoland rival Loyola.
 
NIU's first road trip in conference comes April 11-12 when they trek to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to face Western Michigan. Following a home doubleheader with Valparaiso, the Huskies go back on the road to take on Miami (Ohio) and Ball State.
 
April ends with a five-game homestand, starting with an April 24 double-dip with Eastern Michigan. NIU ends its home MAC slate with two contests against Central Michigan before closing out the home schedule April 29 against UIC.
 
The regular season concludes with a trip to Buffalo for a doubleheader and a pair of single games against Kent State. For the eighth-straight year and 12th time overall, the MAC Tournament will take place at Akron's Firestone Stadium.