By Eric Scott
Athletic Communications
With fall workouts completed, the Northwestern Oklahoma State University softball gears up for the upcoming season as the Lady Rangers have released their 2019 slate.
Head softball coach Jill Webb-Devries and Northwestern softball will jump start the season February 15-17 when they take part in the Edmond Regional Festival II, hosted by Oklahoma Christian. Game times and opponents at the opening tournament are still to be determined.
It will be a new look Northwestern softball team when the Lady Rangers host their first game of the season at home against Cameron on February 19.
The 2019 team consists of 18 newcomers, including one transfer, one sophomore, two returning juniors and seven seniors.
“We are looking forward to the schedule that’s been assembled for the Spring,” said Coach Devries. “We feel like the tournament to open the season and games against Cameron is a great opportunity for our young players to get acclimated to the college game before the rigors of the GAC schedule begins the next week.”
The Great American Conference schedule gets going in week two when the Lady Rangers travel to Shawnee, Oklahoma to face Oklahoma Baptist for the first four-game set of the season, followed by a road trip to take on defending GAC champions and national semifinalist Southern Arkansas to start the month of March.
After four home games against Arkansas-Monticello and a road showdown at Henderson State, Northwestern heads to Cameron for two games on March 18 and Midwestern State for a doubleheader the next day for the remaining two non-conference matchups.
The first doubleheader against rival Southwestern Oklahoma State is set for March 26 at home, with a return trip to Weatherford, Oklahoma two weeks later on April 9.
The final three weekend series for the Lady Rangers will be against East Central (April 12-13) at home, Southeastern Oklahoma State (April 19-20) on the road and Southern Nazarene (April 26-27) comes to Alva to close the season.
After falling just short of the eighth spot in the GAC Tournament last season, the Lady Rangers are poised for their first ever trip to the league championship tournament in Bentonville, Arkansas.