NEW YORK – The BIG EAST softball season commences on Friday with various non-conference tournaments taking place across the country. Seven of the eight BIG EAST teams will be competing with Villanova beginning their season next weekend. Six squads will travel to a tournament with the exception of defending BIG EAST Champion DePaul hosting the Total Control Invitational at The Dome at the Ballpark at Rosemont.
Butler will head north to join DePaul for the Total Control Invitational, beginning with a matchup against Indianapolis foe IUPUI on Friday. The Bulldogs will face Western Illinois later in the day. Butler will battle Evansville and Loyola Chicago on Saturday before concluding the tournament on Sunday against Detroit Mercy.
BIG EAST preseason top choice Creighton will make its way to the Southwest to participate in the New Mexico State Invitational. The Bluejays’ first opponent will be UTEP on Friday before matching up with the host Aggies in the evening. Creighton will face New Mexico on Saturday, along with a second contest with UTEP to follow. They will finish up with one more meeting against New Mexico State on Sunday.
At the site of the 2019 BIG EAST Softball Championship presented by Jeep, DePaul hosts the Total Control Invitational and will battle Green Bay and Evansville on Friday evening. The Blue Demons will face the Phoenix again on Saturday before a contest with UMKC in the afternoon. On Sunday, DePaul will conclude competition versus Purdue Fort Wayne.
Georgetown travels to Boiling Springs, N.C. for the Gardner-Webb University Tournament. The Hoyas kick things off with a morning tilt against George Washington on Friday. They will have the rest of the day off before a doubleheader on Saturday, first against Furman before facing the host Runnin’ Bulldogs. The Hoyas will finish up with a second meeting versus GW on Sunday.
Providence makes its way to Jacksonville, Fla., to compete in the Jacksonville Tournament. The Friars will meet UMass-Lowell first before taking on Georgia Tech in their second game of the afternoon. Providence will see the Yellow Jackets again Saturday morning and face the host Dolphins in the afternoon. They will wrap up competition on Sunday morning with another contest versus the Riverhawks.
St. John’s will participate in the FAU First Pitch Classic in Boca Raton, Fla., to begin the season. The Red Storm will be tested in their first outing as they go up against No. 6 Georgia on Friday afternoon. They will turn around to face the host Owls in the nightcap. Saturday will see St. John’s take on Bethune-Cookman and Indiana in back-to-back games. The Red Storm will finish up against Virginia on Sunday morning.
Seton Hall will make a cross-country trip to Las Vegas to compete in the Marucci Desert Classic hosted by UNLV. Southern Utah awaits the Pirates for their first contest Friday morning, followed by a tilt with the host Rebels in the afternoon. Seton Hall’s Saturday includes matchups against Utah Valley in the morning and then Long Beach State in the afternoon. The Pirates conclude the tournament Sunday morning versus North Dakota.
BIG EAST Softball Weekend Schedule
FRIDAY, FEB. 8
GEORGETOWN vs. George Washington at 11 a.m. (Boiling Springs, N.C.)
Southern Utah vs. SETON HALL at 11 a.m. (Las Vegas, Nev.)
IUPUI vs. BUTLER at 12:30 p.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
UTEP vs. CREIGHTON at 1 p.m. (Las Cruces, N.M.)
UMass-Lowell vs. PROVIDENCE at 2 p.m. (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Western Illinois vs. BUTLER at 3 p.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
SETON HALL at UNLV at 4 p.m.
No. 6 Georgia vs. ST. JOHN’S at 4 p.m. (Boca Raton, Fla.)
Georgia Tech vs. PROVIDENCE at 4:30 p.m. (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Green Bay at DEPAUL at 5:30 p.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
CREIGHTON at New Mexico State at 6 p.m.
Evansville at DEPAUL at 8 p.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
ST. JOHN’S at Florida Atlantic at 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, FEB. 9
Utah Valley vs. SETON HALL at 11 a.m. (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Bethune Cookman vs. ST. JOHN’S at 11:15 a.m. (Boca Raton, Fla.)
Green Bay at DEPAUL at 11:30 a.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
Georgia Tech vs. PROVIDENCE at 11:30 a.m. (Jacksonville, Fla.)
GEORGETOWN vs. Furman at 12 p.m. (Boiling Springs, N.C.)
New Mexico vs. CREIGHTON at 12 p.m. (Las Cruces, N.M.)
Long Beach State vs. SETON HALL at 1:30 p.m. (Las Vegas, Nev.)
UTEP vs. CREIGHTON at 2:30 p.m. (Las Cruces, N.M.)
UMKC at DEPAUL at 3 p.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
GEORGETOWN at Gardner-Webb at 4 p.m.
Indiana vs. ST. JOHN’S at 4 p.m. (Boca Raton, Fla.)
Evansville vs. BUTLER at 5:30 p.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
PROVIDENCE at Jacksonville at 6 p.m.
Loyola Chicago vs. BUTLER at 8 p.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
SUNDAY, FEB. 10
Virginia vs. ST. JOHN’S at 9 a.m. (Boca Raton, Fla.)
UMass-Lowell vs. PROVIDENCE at 10 a.m. (Jacksonville, Fla.)
North Dakota vs. SETON HALL at 11 a.m. (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Detroit Mercy vs. BUTLER at 11 a.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
GEORGETOWN vs. George Washington at 11 a.m. (Boiling Springs, N.C.)
CREIGHTON at New Mexico State at 12 p.m.
Purdue Fort Wayne at DEPAUL at 3 p.m. (Rosemont, Ill.)
All times listed are Eastern.