BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College softball team has its 40-game schedule set for the 2018 season with the first doubleheader slated for February 24 at Gwynedd Mercy University, the Greyhounds first attempt to play before March 1 since 2008.
The Hounds will then head west for 12 games in Arizona. The first six games from March 2-4 will be part of the 2018 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Leadoff Classic. This will be Moravian's fifth appearance in the NFCA Leadoff Classic with the Greyhounds appearing in 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010, and the last three of those seasons ended with trips to the NCAA Division III World Series. The Greyhounds are scheduled to face Whitworth (Wash.) University, defending NCAA Division III National Champion Virginia Wesleyan University, Wittenberg (Ohio) University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The University of St. Thomas (Minn.), the team that defeated Moravian for the 2004 National Championship, and Coe (Iowa) College.
After a day off, the Blue and Grey will play six games between March 6-8 as part of the Tucson Invitational. Those dates are slated to include contests with Husson (Maine) University, Bethany Lutheran (Minn.) College, Northland (Wisc.) College, SUNY Oneonta, Hiram (Ohio) College and the College of St. Benedict (Minn.).
Once Moravian returns to Pennsylvania, the Greyhounds will jump right into the 2018 Landmark Conference schedule with a doubleheader at The Catholic University of America on Saturday, March 17. After playing their first 16 games of the season on the road, the Hounds will play eight of their final 12 doubleheaders at Blue and Grey Field beginning with the home opener versus Ursinus College on Thursday, March 22. Moravian then hosts Elizabethtown College on March 24 before finishing the month at Juniata College on Friday, March 30.
The Greyhounds open April with home doubleheaders versus DeSales University on Tuesday, April 3 and Susquehanna University on Saturday, April 7 before making trips to rival Muhlenberg College on Thursday, April 12 and Drew University on Saturday, April 14. Moravian is set to host Delaware Valley University on Tuesday, April 17 and Eastern University on Thursday, April 19 before the final road trip of the regular season to the College of Staten Island on Saturday, April 21. The Hounds finish off the slate with home doubleheaders versus Stevens Institute of Technology on Tuesday, April 24 and The University of Scranton on Saturday, April 28.
The Landmark Conference Tournament will be played on May 4-6 at the highest seed with the Tournament Champion earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
To see the full schedule with starting times, visit http://moraviansports.com/sports/sball/2017-18/schedule.
