Aug. 28, 2009

MEMPHIS - The University of Memphis softball team announced its fall exhibition schedule on Friday. The Tigers are scheduled to play six home games and host two tournaments in October at the Tiger Softball Complex.

The U of M will kick off the fall schedule with a doubleheader against Alcorn State on Saturday, October 3. The twin bill is set to begin at 3 p.m.

Alcorn State finished the 2009 season 22-24 and 8-9 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

On Friday, October 9, Memphis will host a three-team tournament with Western Kentucky and Mississippi Valley State. The Tigers will play Western Kentucky at 3 p.m. and MVSU at 7 p.m.

Mississippi Valley State earned the SWAC's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament in 2009 after finishing 38-16 and 17-0 in conference play. The Devilettes have won the SWAC Championship the past six years and led the league in hitting with a .322 average and in pitching with a 3.00 ERA.

Western Kentucky went 35-19 in 2009 and 14-9 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Lady Toppers advanced to the SBC semifinals last season, falling just short of advancing to the championship game with a 6-5 loss to FAU.

The final tournament scheduled for the fall is on Saturday, October 17. Memphis will host Union and Northwest Mississippi Community College in the three-team tournament with the Tigers playing at 10 a.m. and noon.

Union University in Jackson, Tenn., is a NAIA program in the TranSouth Conference. The Lady Bulldogs finished third in the TranSouth with a 9-5 record and went 26-23 overall.

Northwest Mississippi Community College finished 27-11 in 2009 and 21-3 in the MACJC. The Lady Rangers won the MACJC north division championship, took third place in the MACJC State Tournament and finished fifth at the Region XXIII Tournament.

Memphis returns 12 letterwinners from 2009 and will be joined by six newcomers in the fall. The Tigers finished 22-30 in 2009 and were 7-17 in Conference USA.