TLU Softball Announces 2022 Schedule
SEGUIN, TX -- Texas Lutheran softball and head coach Wade Wilson announced TLU's full schedule on Friday.
The Bulldogs, last year's national runner up and seven-time defending Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champions, will match up against five schools that were conference champions last season, including four teams that reached the 2021 NCAA Softball Regionals and a rematch with Women's College World Series foe DePauw University (Mar. 5).
The slate features 19 home games at Theos Morck Field at Ed Kruse Stadium, including three SCAC series in Seguin. The non-conference schedule is highlighted by a home matchup with NCAA regionalist Babson and a Columbus, GA tournament hosting three teams from the 2021 NCAA Regional Tournament.
The 2022 campaign marks the 11th for Wilson at Texas Lutheran as he returns after being named SCAC Coach of the Year for the sixth time last season. During his tenure, the Bulldogs have reached the postseason seven times, made seven consecutive trips to the NCAA Regionals and consecutive appearances in the Women's College World Series - winning a national title in 2019.
The season will begin with four weeks of home games for the Bulldogs. Texas Lutheran will open with a home double-header against LeTourneau University on February 5th. Week two sees the Bulldogs host Whitworth University (Feb. 12) and before closing the opening homestand with games against Concordia University (TX) (Feb. 21) and Babson College (Feb. 25). The Bulldogs went 18-2 at Ed Kruse Stadium last season - winning regionals on their home field.
SCAC play begins March 11-12 in Kerrville, TX versus Schreiner University after a midweek non-conference matchup against Case Western Reserve on March 10.
The Bulldogs will head to Belton to face Mary Hardin-Baylor in a double-header on March 15.
Conference play continues at home as the Bulldogs host Austin College March 18-19 before facing Southwestern University in Georgetown March 25-26.
Following a midweek game at Concordia (TX) on March 30, Texas Lutheran hosts Centenary April 1-2 before spending two weekends on the road at St. Thomas (April 8-9) and Dallas (April 14-15).
Texas Lutheran will close the regular season with a three game series against Trinity University April 22-23. The Bulldogs will look to continue their 41-game conference win streak that dates back to March 2019.
Texas Lutheran will go for its tenth consecutive conference tournament title at the SCAC Softball Championships in Irving, TX, April 29-May 1.
The NCAA Division III Softball Championships will take place in Salem, Virginia, May 26-31.
The 2022 team returns NFCA and CoSIDA First Team All-American, Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III Player of the Year finalist, and back-to-back SCAC Offensive Player of the Year outfielder Kelly Jurden (Brenham/Brenham) along with fellow All-American sophomore pitcher Ashlyn Strother (Seabrook/Clear Falls).
TLU also welcomes back four NFCA All-Region players in catcher Sarah Metzer (Sugar Land/Dulles), utility/pitcher Chassety Raines (Spring/Klein Collins), pitcher Sydney Ouellette (Corpus Christi/Gregory-Portland), and second baseman Casey Martin (Pearland/Pearland). The Bulldogs are coming off a 2021 season that saw the team finish 36-6 and finish as the national runner up and ranked #2 in the nation.
For more information on Texas Lutheran softball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter and Instagram (@TLUsoftball) and as always you can find updates on all Texas Lutheran athletics on tlubulldogs.com and all official TLU social media channels (@tluathletics on Twitter, @tlubulldogs on Instagram and Facebook, and @tlu_athletics on TikTok).