OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University softball team has released their 2018 schedule, and it features a full slate yet again. The Lady Evangels are coming off a successful fall schedule, and they hope to make a postseason run in 2018.
MACU will play nine different non-conference foes, as well as eight Sooner Athletic Conference opponents. The schedule will feature 30 scheduled home games and 30 games away from home.
"We like the way our 2018 schedule stacks up," remarked head coach Robert Wakefield. "We tried to set up a schedule that gives us a chance to balance finding early success with making sure we are ready for the always tough SAC portion of the slate. We like our chances of being in position to compete in the postseason in the SAC, the NCCAA, and the NAIA this season."
The season will open with a 10-game home stand in February. Opening day is slated for February 9 with the Blue Jays of Tabor College scheduled to visit Jack Allen Field. Over the next 15 days, MACU is also scheduled to welcome in Oklahoma Wesleyan University (Feb. 13), Kansas Wesleyan University (Feb. 17), Southwestern College (Kan., Feb. 20), and Haskell Indian Nations University (Kan., Feb. 24).
The first road contests of the season are slated for February 27 at Langston University, and that kicks off a stretch where MACU will play 16 of 20 games on the road. The Lady Evangels will take part in a tournament at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas on March 2-3, which will be followed immediately by their SAC opener at Bacone College (Okla.) on March 8. The first home SAC twin-bill comes on March 13 when the University of Science and Arts (Okla.) comes to Oklahoma City at 2 p.m. MACU also has March home games against Ecclesia College (Ark., Mar. 16), Central Christian College (Kan., Mar. 23-24), and Crowley's Ridge College (Ark., Mar. 30).
April is a month which will feature only SAC play. The month begins with road double headers at USAO (Apr. 3), Southwestern Assemblies of God University (Texas, Apr. 6), and Texas Wesleyan University (Apr. 7). Beginning April 10, the Lady Evangels will play five straight home SAC twin bills, beginning with Southwestern Christian University. The home stand will also feature dates with Oklahoma City University (Apr. 12), Bacone (Apr. 17), SAGU (Apr. 20), and Texas Wesleyan (Apr. 21). The season will conclude with a weekend trip to SAC newcomer Oklahoma Panhandle State University on April 27 and 28.
The SAC Softball Championship will take place from May 3-5, with the top eight teams qualifying for the double-elimination event. The NCCAA Central Regional Tournament – for which MACU will qualify if they can complete the season at the .500 mark or better – is to be played on May 7-9 at a location yet to be announced.
