photo courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware softball team will participate in four tournaments and will play 21 games at newly-renovated Delaware Field as the Blue Hens’ 2010 schedule was released Thursday.

Delaware, which will be led by 30th-year head coach B.J. Ferguson, will open its season on February 19-21 when the Blue Hens compete in the University of North Carolina Tournament in Chapel Hill, N.C. UD will again compete in the East Carolina University Tournament on February 26-28, and will participate in the Marshall University Tournament for the second consecutive year on March 5-7.

The Blue Hens will play their home opener on March 9 with a doubleheader against UMBC, and following a week off will host Temple in a twinbill on March 17. Delaware will play in its final regular season tournament on March 19-21 when UD competes in the UMBC Tournament, and the Hens will renew their in-state rivalry with Delaware State in a doubleheader in Newark on March 24.

Delaware opens Colonial Athletic Association play on March 27-28 when the Blue Hens host Hofstra in a three-game series, and following a doubleheader at Villanova on March 30, UD faces Saint Joseph’s in a single game at Delaware Field on March 31.

The Hens play their first conference road series on April 2-3 at defending CAA champion James Madison, and after a doubleheader at Rider on April 7, Delaware hosts Georgia State in a three-game series on April 10-11.

Following a home doubleheader versus Norfolk State on April 14, the Blue Hens travel to UNC Wilmington for a three-game series with the Seahawks on April 17-18. Delaware then travels to Lehigh for a twinbill on April 21 and returns home to host Drexel for a three-game weekend series on April 24-25. After a doubleheader at Pennsylvania on April 28, the Blue Hens will play their final road games of the year with a three-game set at Towson on May 1-2.

Delaware closes out its regular season by hosting George Mason in a doubleheader on May 7 and a single game on May 8. The top four teams in the CAA advance to the conference tournament, held on May 12-14 on the campus of the regular season champion.

Delaware, which went 21-18 overall last season and finished fifth in the CAA with a 7-9 league record, returns eight starters as the Blue Hens look to qualify for the conference tournament for the first time since 2006. UD will be led by junior third baseman Michelle Grap (at right), a second team all-conference selection in 2009 when she led Delaware with 20 RBI while ranking second with a .306 batting average, 34 hits and three home runs. Both Blue Hen starting pitchers, Amanda Stacevicz (10-9, 2.89 ERA) and Anne Marie Pagano (11-8, 4.07 ERA), also return for the Blue Hens.

2010 University of Delaware Softball Schedule
Feb. 19-21 at University of North Carolina Tournament; Feb. 26-28 at East Carolina University Tournament; Mar. 5-7 at Marshall University Tournament; Mar. 9 vs. UMBC (DH), 2 p.m.; Mar. 17 vs. Temple (DH), 3 p.m.; Mar. 19-21 at UMBC Tournament; Mar. 24 vs. Delaware State (DH), 2 p.m.; Mar. 27 vs. *Hofstra (DH), 12 noon; Mar. 28 vs. *Hofstra, 12 noon; Mar. 30 at Villanova (DH), 3 p.m.; Mar. 31 vs. Saint Joseph’s, 2:30 p.m.; Apr. 2 at *James Madison (DH), 3 p.m.; Apr. 3 at *James Madison, 12 noon; Apr. 7 at Rider (DH), 3 p.m.; Apr. 10 vs. *Georgia State (DH), 12 noon; Apr. 11 vs. Georgia State, 12 noon; Apr. 14 vs. Norfolk State (DH), 2:30 p.m.; Apr. 17 at *UNC Wilmington (DH), TBA; Apr. 18 at *UNC Wilmington, TBA; Apr. 21 at Lehigh (DH), 3 p.m.; Apr. 24 vs. *Drexel (DH), 12 noon; Apr. 25 vs. *Drexel, 12 noon; Apr. 28 at Pennsylvania (DH), 3 p.m.; May 1 at *Towson (DH), TBA; May 2 at *Towson, TBA; May 7 vs. *George Mason (DH), 12 noon; May 8 vs. *George Mason, 12 noon; May 12-14 at CAA Championships (top four teams qualify)