2009 Fall Softball Schedule

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Entering her fifth year as skipper of the Panther program, Eastern Illinois softball head coach Kim Schuette has announced her squad's upcoming 2009 fall schedule.

This coming September and October, the Panthers will participate in tournaments in Joliet and Bloomington, while also hosting three home events in Charleston.

EIU opens with a home tournament on Sept. 19, with teams competing still to be determined. That opener is followed by a Sept. 27 tourney at Joliet, facing Northern Illinois and Northwestern at 9 am and 11:15 am, respectively.

The Panthers will then make a return trip to the now annual Illinois Collegiate Challenge, with all collegiate softball squads from the state of Illinois playing to see who will ultimately compete in three brackets (Gold, Silver and Bronze). Eastern will face off against long-time rivals Southern Illinois and Western Illinois on Sat., Oct. 3, with first pitches set for noon and 2:30 pm, respectively. Bracket play will commence on Sun., Oct. 4, with opponents and times to be determined.

Last season, the Panthers earned the Silver Bracket title, blasting past Illinois State and Southern Illinois in consecutive games, after previously defeating Heartland CC, but losing to Northwestern in pre-bracket action.

EIU will finish with their Blue/Gray World Series, playing three games over five days, while also throwing in the annual Alumni Game in between games two and three of the series.

More importantly, coach Schuette recently added a new member to the Panther 'team' last Sunday (Aug. 16) evening, giving birth to a 9 lb, 22-inch long baby girl at 6:32 pm. Lauren Lynn Dorey 'slid home safely' with both mom and daughter doing well.

Also of note, coach Schuette has hired volunteer coach Jason Dorey to full-time assistant coaching status. Her husband, and new father to Lauren, also enters his fifth season with the Panthers and will replace previous full-time assistant Kate Stake at the first base coaching box. 

This past spring, the Panthers made a return trip to the six-squad end-of-season Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, ultimately finishing with a 25-29 overall and 9-14 league mark. The season included a recent program best 7-0 start to the year, which included the championship of the New Mexico State Classic.

EIU returns 14 letterwinners from last season, including three All-OVC honorees -- sophomore infielder Kiley Holtz, junior pitcher Amber May and sophomore catcher Hailee Hanna.  Holtz earned Second Team kudos while both May and Hanna tabbed All-Newcomer team honors.

EIU Panther Softball's 2009 Fall Schedule
Sat., Sep. 19 … hosts EIU Fall Tournament:
... Opponents/Times TBD
Sun., Sep. 27 … at Joliet Fall Tournament (in Joliet, Ill.):
… vs. Northern Illinois … 9 am
… vs. Northwestern … 11:15 am

Sat.-Sun., Oct. 3-4 … at Illinois Collegiate Challenge
(in Bloomington, Ill.):
… Oct. 3 … vs. Southern Illinois … noon
… Oct. 3… vs. Western Illinois … 2:30 pm
… Oct. 4 … Bracket Play (Opponents/Times TBD)
Wed., Fri., Sun., Oct. 14, 16, & 18 … hosts Blue/Gray World Series
… Oct. 14 … Game #1 … 7 pm
… Oct. 16 … Game #2 … 7 pm
… Oct. 18 … Game #3 … 10 am
Sat., Oct. 17 … hosts Alumni Game ... 9:30 am 

... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID