DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Now in her second decade as head coach of Bethune-Cookman Softball, Laura Watten announced the 2024 competitive schedule for the Wildcats on Tuesday. In all, BCU will play against 23 different opponents – including foes from the Big 10, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference (SEC), respectively.
 
Coming off a season where the Wildcats advanced to the semifinals of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament, BCU will embark upon a 48-game regular season schedule for the upcoming campaign. The schedule includes four tournaments to begin the season.
 
The USF-Rawlings Invitational – February 8-11
Bethune-Cookman will begin the 2024 campaign in Tampa, where the Cats open play as part of The USF-Rawlings Invitational hosted by the University of South Florida. The four-day event begins Thursday, Feb. 8, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 11. This is the first time in numerous years that BCYU is not beginning the season in Boca Raton, Florida.
 
BCU will face Illinois State and South Florida to open the tournament on Thursday, Feb. 8, followed by a single game against the Oregon State Beavers (Feb. 9). The Wildcats take on Big 10 opponent Michigan on Feb. 10, before closing the first of four regular season tournaments against Southeastern Conference (SEC) power and in-state foe Florida Gators (Feb. 11).
 
Hatter Classic – February 16-18
For the first time in two years, Bethune-Cookman Softball will compete in the Hatter Classic in west Volusia County. The tournament hosted by Stetson takes place Friday, Feb. 16, running through Sunday, Feb. 18, at Patricia Wilson Field in nearby DeLand.
 
"It's always great when two Volusia County teams meet," stated Watten. "Stetson has had a great program for a number of years, and they always do a great job hosting the Hatter Classic with some really good teams. It's also fun when we can have our fans come to an away game and support us, since we're generally traveling further away the first part of the season."
 
Once in DeLand, BCU will meet teams from Creighton and Colgate on February 16, followed by a two-game slate against Colgate and the host Stetson Hatters on February 17. The Hatter Classic closes out Sunday, Feb. 18, with a single game against the host Hatters.
 
Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic – February 22-24
One of the nation's most renowned regular season tournaments annually is the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. For the past seven years, Bethune-Cookman has served as the only Historically Black College/University (HBCU) to be represented in the event, and is almost a flag bearer for HBCUs, in general, during the legendary tournament.
 
"We have the honor of representing HBCUs in the Mary Nutter [Classic] every year," expressed Watten. It's a distinction we love, and it's also a chance for so many of our student-athletes from the state of California to play in front of their families and friends. I can't tell you how amazing it is for BCU to play in this event every year as we get to show what HBCU softball is all about to many who have no idea."
 
As part of this season's edition of the Mary Nutter Classic, BCU plays against BYU and – for the second time on the year, Oregon State to begin (February 22), while playing just one game on day two (Feb. 23) against San Diego State. The Wildcats close the tournament against Loyola Marymount and Cal State Northridge (Feb. 24), respectfully.
 
Knights Classic – March 1-3
The fourth and final regular season tournament of the 2024 schedule takes place March 1-3, as the Cats travel the short distance to Orlando for the three-day Knights Classic hosted by UCF.
 
BCU faces off against teams from Princeton (March 1), Kennesaw State (March 2) and South Carolina (March 2), before closing out the weekend with the host UCF Knights (March 3).
 
Midweek Matchups
Several nonconference midweek matchups are slated on the schedule, beginning with the home opener for BCU on Wednesday, March 6, as the Cats welcome North Dakota to Sunnyland Park for a single game with first pitch set for 3 p.m. Marist visits Daytona Beach for a doubleheader affair Tuesday, March 12, while BCU travels to Jacksonville for a nonconference twin-billing to conclude the regular season Tuesday, April 30.
 
Conference Play
For the third successive season, Bethune-Cookman Softball competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and looks to achieve the same regular season success as the debut campaign of 2022, where the Cats claimed the SWAC Eastern Division title. This season's league schedule includes a new, but old, format as games go back to a single contest, followed by a doubleheader the ensuing day – as opposed to the previous few seasons of three-day, single game formats.
 
SWAC play begins with a trip to Mississippi Valley State (March 8-9), before welcoming last season's Eastern Division champion Alabama State (March 15-16) to Sunnyland Park. The following weekend, BCU heads to Huntsville, Alabama to face the Alabama A&M Bulldogs (March 22-23), before wrapping up the month with a visit from in-state opponent Florida A&M (March 29-30).
 
In April, the Cats face Jackson State (April 5-6) for the only time, and then return home to face Alabama A&M (April 12-13) in the return trip from the Bulldogs. The Maroon and Gold head to Montgomery, Alabama for the return meeting with Alabama State (April 19-20), and then conclude the regular season SWAC schedule with Mississippi Valley State (April 26-27) returning to Daytona Beach.
 
SWAC Tournament
The SWAC Tournament, which features the top four teams from both the Eastern and Western Divisions, will once again take place in Gulfport, Mississippi, with this year's event slated for May 7-11. All the action takes place at the Gulfport Sportsplex.
 
"I love challenging schedules, and this year is no exception," adds Watten. "I think our well put together nonconference schedule gets us ready for an always grueling SWAC schedule that pits us home, away, home, away every weekend.
 
"The SWAC is a tough, physical conference with good pitching, great hitting and outstanding athletes. We'll need to be better than just good this year against this schedule because it's certainly going to make us work for it. And that's one thing we love – work."
 
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