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Softball action vs KC 700.4836 Leatherneck Softball hosts University of Missouri-Kansas City at Mary Ellen McKee stadium in Macomb, Ill. on Sunday, April 23, 2023. The team celebrated the senior players ahead of the last home game of the season.
Rachael Keating

Western Illinois Announces 2024 Softball Schedule

| By: WIU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Western’s Inaugural Season In Ohio Valley Headlined by Thirteen Home Matchups

MACOMB, Ill. - The countdown to the 2024 softball season begins today, as the Leathernecks announced their full schedule for the upcoming season on Thursday, December 21. Western Illinois will play a 50 game schedule, with the regular season running from February 9th to May 5th. 

"We are really excited for the 2024 season," said Head Softball Coach Alisa Goler, as she expressed her excitement and readiness for the upcoming year. "I think it'll be great for our players to experience some new opponents and different regions of the country that we haven't had on our schedule in previous seasons. Our team has worked hard and I'm looking forward to watching us put it all together on the field." 

The Leathernecks open the season with a 5 game tournament at the UNI-Dome, the first of three tournaments on the 2024 schedule. The Leathernecks will take on Northern Iowa in a pair of games, and also play Northern Illinois, Butler, and Drake. Western will also play a 5-game tournament at Murray State on February 23-25, taking on the Racers twice, Toledo twice, and have one game against IUPUI. The final tournament for the Leathernecks takes place the following weekend, from March 2-3, as Western will square off twice against both Green Bay and Bellarmine in St. Charles, Missouri. 

Western will make a trip south in mid-February, as the Leathernecks travel to Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a three game series from February 17-18, and will then take on Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena for a February 21 doubleheader. 

The Leatherneck softball team will make their OVC debut in Martin, Tennessee, as Western takes on the Skyhawks of UT-Martin on March 9th and 10th. The Leathernecks then travel to play Kansas City and Saint Louis on March 12th and 13th, respectively. 

After over a month of road matches, Western will host its home opener at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium on March 16th, as the Leathernecks will take on Tennessee Tech in a Saturday doubleheader, before playing the Golden Eagles again the following Sunday. Western will play 13 games at home across the 2024 season, as the Leathernecks will take on the Eagles of Morehead State on March 29-30, and then host Lindenwood on April 13-14. Western will wrap up the season on a four-game homestand, playing host to former Summit League rival Kansas City on April 30, before taking on Southern Indiana for a three game series on May 4-5. 

Western's series vs. UT Martin on March 9th and 10th marks the first of 5 OVC road series the Leathernecks will play, as they will also travel to Eastern Illinois on March 23-24, SIUE on April 6-7, Tennessee State on April 20-21, and Southeast Missouri State on April 27-28. 

After wrapping up the season on May 5, Western then looks to the postseason. The 2024 OVC Softball Championship will be held May 8-11 at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois. It marks the first time the event has been held at the venue and will be the 30th all-time OVC Softball Championship. The top eight of the ten competing OVC teams will all play for the opportunity to punch their ticket into the 2024 NCAA Softball Tournament. 
 
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