HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky's softball program is one step closer to the upcoming season with the release of its 2022 schedule.
Head coach Kathryn Gleason and the Norse are slated to play 54 regular-season games, including 17 at Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field.
The Norse's nonconference schedule features six games against four teams slotted in the D1 Softball Top 25 Preseason Rankings: No. 12 Michigan, No. 13 Duke, No. 20 Kentucky and No. 23 Northwestern.
NKU's quest for a Horizon League title begins March 11 when it hosts Oakland in a league opener. The Norse play 27 regular-season conference games.
Nonconference Highlights
· The Norse launch the season with four weekend-long events, starting Feb. 11-13 with the Blue Hose Invitational in Clinton, SC. NKU plays Feb. 18-20 in the Upstate Classic in Spartansburg, SC before moving on to the Duke Invitational in Durham, NC (Feb. 25-27) and the Coach B Classic in Carbondale, IL (March 4-6).
· The Norse face Michigan Feb. 25 and Feb. 27 in the Duke Invitational. Michigan last year won a third straight Big 10 title and fell to Washington in an NCAA Regional. The Wolverines are 12th in the D1 Softball Top 25 Preseason Rankings.
· NKU takes on host Duke at 1 p.m. Feb. 26 in Durham. The Blue Devils, ranked 13th in the D1 Softball Top 25 Preseason Rankings, recently completed their fourth year as a program. They won a program-first Atlantic Coast Conference title and capped their historic campaign with an inaugural NCAA postseason appearance.
· NKU twice plays Northwestern in the Coach B Classic. The Wildcats placed third in the Big 10 before making a 2021 NCAA Tournament berth. They're 23rd in D1 Softball Top 25 Preseason Rankings.
· NKU also plays Saint Louis, Bellarmine, Western Illinois, Dayton, Eastern Kentucky, Marshall and Kentucky in the nonconference.
· The Norse travel to intrastate foe Kentucky April 26 in a nonconference finale. The Wildcats, 20th in the D1 Softball Top 25 Preseason Rankings, was knocked out of the 2021 postseason by Alabama in the Tuscaloosa Super Regional.
Horizon League Highlights
· The Norse open Horizon League play March 11 by hosting Oakland. The teams play three times in the weekend series, including a double-header March 12 at Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field.
· NKU plays at Green Bay (March 18 and 19) and Cleveland State (March 25 and a double-header March 26) before welcoming UIC for three games April 1 and 2. The Flames are coming off a third Horizon League championship in four years and the 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
· The Norse host Robert Morris April 8 and 9, with a double-header on the latter day.
· After traveling to Youngstown State and IUPUI for a combined six games, including two double-headers, the Norse host Detroit Mercy in a regular-season series home finale. The three-game weekend starts with an outing April 29. It continues with a double-header April 30 on NKU's Senior Day.
· The Norse conclude the regular season on the road, facing Purdue Fort Wayne May 6 and 7 (the latter a doubleheader).
· The Horizon League Tournament begins May 11 and concludes May 14. The tourney is hosted by the conference's regular-season champion.
Visit the softball schedule page at NKUNorse.com for the most up-to-date information. Opponents and dates are subject to change per Horizon League protocol.
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