2019 Sun Belt Softball Weekly News and Notes:
Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Records Book
 
AROUND #SUNBELTSB
• The 2019 Sun Belt softball season gets underway this week, beginning on Thursday, Feb. 7, with 50 games on tap.
 
• This season is the 20th season of Sun Belt softball. Sun Belt teams have combined for 33 postseason appearances (29 NCAA Division I Softball Championship and four National Invitation Softball Championship) in 19 seasons. Over that span, the conference has compiled 66 NCAA Tournament wins, seven NCAA Super Regional appearances, three NCAA Women's College World Series appearances and one NISC Championship Round appearance.
 
• Also this season, Sun Belt softball is honoring the life of Geri Ann Glasco, daughter of Louisiana head coach Gerry Glasco. Geri Ann Glasco passed away on Jan. 24 as a result of a multi-vehicle accident. A standout student-athlete at Oregon, she was set to serve her first season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Ragin' Cajuns. To honor Geri Ann's memory throughout the 2019 season, Sun Belt teams are wearing stickers on their helmets blazoned with her name.
 
• Louisiana enters the season ranked in both national preseason polls (15th in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 and 18th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25) with Texas State receiving votes in both polls.
 
• The opening week's schedule features matchups against three nationally ranked teams in No. 2/1 UCLA, No. 8 Tennessee and No. 9/11 Alabama. Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Louisiana, South Alabama (in Gulf Shores, Ala.), Texas State and Troy are hosting tournaments to open the season.
 
• Conference foes Georgia State and UTA are set to meet in a rare non-conference matchup on Saturday, Feb. 9 as a part of the Hawaii Paradise Classic in Honolulu.
 
• Louisiana's Feb. 9 game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is slated to be conference's first softball live broadcast on ESPN+ this season.
 
• The Sun Belt moves a three-day (generally Friday, Saturday and Sunday) conference schedule for the first time this season.
 
• Louisiana swept the Sun Belt's preseason honors, voted the preseason favorite to win conference crown along with junior shortstop Alissa Dalton selected Preseason Player of the Year and junior pitcher Summer Ellyson tabbed Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
 
• The conference's first softball weekly awards will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 12.
 
• The 2019 Sun Belt Softball Championship, hosted by Texas State, is set for May 8-11 at the Bobcat Softball Stadium in San Marcos, Texas.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Thursday, February 7    
1-UTA vs. UCLA, 1 p.m.
2-Fordham at Louisiana, 5 p.m.
1-UTA vs. Fresno State, 6 p.m.
3-UTSA at Texas State, 6 p.m.
1-Georgia State vs. Saint Mary's (Calif.), 8:30 p.m.
1-Georgia State at Hawaii, 11 p.m.
 
Friday, February 8    
6-Appalachian State vs. Longwood, 11:15 a.m.
4-ULM vs. Austin Peay, 12:30 p.m.
5-Tennessee at Coastal Carolina, 1 p.m.
6-North Dakota State at Texas State, 1:15 p.m.
6-Appalachian State at Elon, 1:30 p.m.
2-Incarnate Word at Louisiana, 2 p.m.
7-Maryland at Troy, 3 p.m.
5-Rider at Coastal Carolina, 3:15 p.m.
8-UT Martin at Georgia Southern (ESPN+), 3:30 p.m.
1-Georgia State at Fresno State, 3:30 p.m.
3-Colorado State at Texas State, 3:30 p.m.
2-Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Louisiana, 4:30 p.m.
9-South Alabama vs. Missouri State, 5 p.m.
7-Alabama at Troy, 5:30 p.m.
8-Saint Francis (Pa.) at Georgia Southern (ESPN+), 6 p.m.
1-UTA vs. Saint Mary's (Calif.), 6 p.m.
1-UTA at Hawaii, 8:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, February 9
4-ULM vs. Wright State, 10 a.m.
5-Rider at Coastal Carolina, 10:45 a.m.
6-Appalachian State vs. Eastern Kentucky, 11 a.m.
9-South Alabama vs. Tennessee State, 11 a.m.
3-Colorado State at Texas State, 11:30 a.m.
4-ULM vs. Austin Peay, 12:30 p.m.
1-UTA vs. Georgia State, 1 p.m.
5-Boston University at Coastal Carolina, 1 p.m.
9-South Alabama vs. Louisiana Tech, 2 p.m.
1-Georgia State vs. UCLA, 3 p.m.
7-Maryland at Troy, 3 p.m.
8-Saint Francis (Pa.) at Georgia Southern (ESPN+), 3:30 p.m.
2-Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Louisiana (ESPN+), 4:30 p.m.
7-Murray State at Troy, 5:30 p.m.
8-Winthrop at Georgia Southern (ESPN+), 6 p.m.
 
Sunday, February 10
4-ULM vs. Wright State, 9 a.m.
9-South Alabama vs. WKU, 10 a.m.
8-UT Martin at Georgia Southern (ESPN+), 10:30 a.m.
4-ULM at UAB, 11:30 a.m.
6-Appalachian State at Elon, 12:15 p.m.
5-Illinois-Chicago at Coastal Carolina, 12:15 p.m.
7-Alabama at Troy, 12:30 p.m.
8-Savannah State at Georgia Southern (ESPN+), 1 p.m.
3-North Dakota State at Texas State, 4 p.m.
 
Monday, February 11
2-California at Louisiana, 4 p.m.
3-North Dakota State at Texas State, 4 p.m.
2-California at Louisiana, 6 p.m.

All Times are Central and Subject to Change

KEY:
1-Hawaii Paradise Classic, Honolulu, Hawaii
2-Rajun' Cajuns Classic, Lafayette, La.
3-Bobcat Classic, San Marcos, Texas
4-UAB Blazer Bash, Birmingham, Ala.
5-Kickin' Chicken Classic, Conway, S.C.
6-Elon Opening Weekend Tournament, Elon, N.C.
7-Troy University Tournament, Troy, Ala.
8-Bash in the Boro, Statesboro, Ga.
9-San Dollar Classic, Gulf Shores, Ala.