FARMVILLE, Va. – Head coach Dr. Megan Brown and the Longwood Lancers softball team has announced its full schedule ahead of the 2023 season. The Lancers are coming off a season that saw them finish tied for first with a 21-6 record in the Big South, with their season ending in the Big South Championship Finals. After competing in one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country a year ago, Longwood is preparing to test themselves again outside of the Big South.

The Lancers have a challenging non-conference schedule ahead of them, with eight of their opponents finishing in the top 60 of last year's RPI. Notable bouts on Longwood's schedule include the defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners, Virginia Tech, Florida State and Alabama, all of whom were ranked in the top ten of the RPI.

"The spring of 2023 is a schedule that we as a program have truly been looking forward to since we began the planning process over a year ago," said head coach Dr. Megan Brown. "The opportunity to continue to grow as a program with a high-level preseason, midweek and conference schedule is a very important piece in striving to achieve our program goals. Our team has worked tremendously hard this fall and we are excited and grateful to have the opportunity to compete with the top teams in the country."
Longwood will be traveling over the course of the first two weeks of the season, facing some tough competition along the way. The season begins with a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida as Florida State University hosts the JoAnne Graf Classic on February 9^th in which the Lancers will take on Purdue, Lipscomb, and Florida State twice over the course of three days.

Following their trip to Florida, the Lancers head to Waco, Texas on the weekend of February 16 for the Getterman Classic at Baylor University. Longwood will again be faced up against some high-level competition, facing the likes of Oklahoma, Army, Stephen F. Austin, and Baylor.

Prior to Longwood's home-opening weekend against St. John's and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on February 26, the Lancers are slated to co-host the Cavalier Classic in Charlottesville alongside Virginia from February 23^rd to 24^th. Longwood will play UVA at 4:00 p.m. on the 23^rd followed by tilts against George Washington and Howard on the 24^th.

On the other side of Longwood's quick stop in Farmville, they will participate in two more away tournaments prior to the beginning of conference play, starting with a trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for an open tournament at the University of Alabama on March 3^rd. In addition to taking on the Crimson Tide, the Lancers will also meet Mercer ad Robert Morris during their time down south. Later that month, Longwood travels to Lexington, Kentucky for another tournament featuring Michigan, DePaul and host Kentucky.
Longwood's 2023 Big South softball season begins on the road for a three-game series against Presbyterian on March 24^th. Sandwiched in-between Big South games are several key non-conference bouts against talented programs. Longwood hosts the likes of North Carolina, Duke, and UVA in the latter half of their schedule. In total, Longwood will face 11 Power 5 schools in 2023, topping last year's total of nine.

The Big South softball season culminates with the Big South Championship, which is set to be played from May 10^th to May 13^th at Radford. The top four regular season teams in the Big South will qualify, and Longwood aims to be back at the top of the standings following a 1^st place regular season finish in 2022. Stay up to date with Longwood softball all season long at www.longwoodlancers.com or by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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