Link to 2018 Schedule

Butler Softball coach Scott Hall has announced the Bulldogs' schedule for the upcoming 2018 season. The schedule features a total of 56 games, with 13 being played at the Butler Softball Field in Indianapolis.

"After a successful fall, we are looking forward to our upcoming spring season," Hall said. "We have a tough schedule ahead of us, including a solid group of BIG EAST opponents. Our goal has always been to test ourselves against some of the nation's toughest competition during the non-conference schedule, and we have done just that."

The Bulldogs open their season on the road with five tournaments. Butler travels to Central Florida to play five teams in a three-day span, Feb. 9-11. The following weekend, the Bulldogs travel to College Station, Texas, to take on Texas A&M, Iowa, and Tulsa. Both Texas A&M and Tulsa finished in the Top 25 nationally at the end of the 2017 season.

After a weekend off, the Bulldogs travel to Nashville, Tenn., to play in the Belmont Invitational from March 2-4. The Bulldogs play five games in a three-day span. The following weekend, Butler travels to the Memphis Invitational to play four teams, including in-state foe Indiana State. Butler wraps up their travel with a Spring Break trip to Tampa and the University of South Florida, March 13-18. The Bulldogs play seven games during their six-day stay in Florida.

BIG EAST play begins on March 24 as the Bulldogs travel to Villanova for a three-game series against the Wildcats. Butler will travel to conference foes Georgetown, DePaul and St. John's in addition to the conference-opener against Villanova. The Bulldogs will host Seton Hall, Creighton and Providence in Indianapolis.

Butler opens their home season versus Ball State on March 21 in the final non-conference showdown before BIG EAST play begins. The Bulldogs will also play midweek contests against Eastern Illinois (away, March 27), Indiana State (away, April 4), Evansville (home, April 5), Indiana (away, doubleheader, April 10), UIC (away, April 19), Miami of Ohio (home, April 24), and IUPUI (home, April 25).

The BIG EAST tournament begins May 11 in Rosemont, Ill., with the top four teams in the conference standings earning spots in the two-day, single-elimination tournament.

Butler returns 14 letterwinners from its 2017 squad that advanced to the BIG EAST Tournament with an 11-9 league mark. Juniors Jenna Foreman and Kaitlin Doud each earned All-BIG EAST second team honors a season ago, and join a line-up that includes Sarah Dixon and Madi Christiansen, both of whom hit better than .300 last season. Those 14 returners join a talented freshman class that will see significant time in the spring.