SEWARD, Neb. – The official start of the 2020 softball season is slated to get underway in late February for the Concordia University softball program, which has announced next spring’s schedule. Head coach Shawn Semler’s squad is set to play 38 varsity regular-season contests. The junior varsity schedule has not yet been finalized.
In Semler’s first season leading the program in 2019, the Bulldogs went 28-12 overall and placed third in the GPAC with a 15-7 league mark. Hhana Haro, Tori Homolka and Brittany Woolridge each earned first team All-GPAC honors while Camry Moore and Allysia Thayer were named to the conference’s second team. Woolridge has graduated, but the other four aforementioned honorees have all returned.
Concordia and many other softball programs in the region hope for more favorable weather conditions this coming spring. The Bulldogs are scheduled to open up the season with a doubleheader on Feb. 28 at Bethany College, located in Lindsborg, Kan. As part of the opening weekend, Concordia will also play at Kansas Wesleyan University on Feb. 29.
Haro and the Bulldogs will also look forward to spending spring break in Clermont, Fla., where they will play eight games between March 8 – 12. Specific opponents and game times have not yet been announced. The program has not been to Florida for spring break since 2012. The team traveled to the Tucson Invitational in each of the previous six years.
Immediately following its stay in Florida, Concordia will be tested significantly on March 14 with a doubleheader at NAIA powerhouse Oklahoma City University, a 10-time national champion. Then on March 18, the Bulldogs will host their home and GPAC opening doubleheader when defending GPAC champion Morningside visits Plum Creek Park. Concordia is slated to have six home doubleheaders this season.
Pod play for the GPAC tournament is scheduled for April 30 – May 1. The top two seeds in the final league standings earn the right to host in the conference postseason event. The GPAC Softball Championship Series will take place May 2. Dates for the NAIA Softball National Championship are May 11-13 for the opening round and May 21-27 for the NAIA Softball World Series.