THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University softball team officially announced its full schedule Wednesday morning for the upcoming 2022 season. The schedule features a 40+ game slate, with 17 contests taking place in Thomasville at Armory Field.
This season's schedule will see the Night Hawks face 19 different opponents, appear in three tournaments, and one never-before played NAIA opponent Kentucky Christian University.
To open the 2022 season, TU will travel to Lawrenceville, Ga. to compete in the Grizzly Open hosted by Georgia Gwinnett College. The dates are February 11-13 with 2021 NAIA national tournament participants Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky) and Reinhardt University (Georgia) joining the University of the Cumberlands (Kentucky) and TU in North Georgia. Thomas is set to play GGC both days of the Open, with Friday's slate also featuring Reinhardt, while Saturday the Night Hawks will face Cumberlands.
The Night Hawks will then host their home-opener on February, 16th when the Knights from Middle Georgia travel to the Rose City for a pair of games.
Next up, Thomas will travel to Columbus, Ga. for the annual NFCA Leadoff Classic in late February. Thomas will open its portion of the Classic play on Friday competing against Engel and Taylor before turning around for Saturday's slate of Bryan College, Kentucky Christian, and William Carey. This marks the only day in the 2022 season TU will play three games in a single day.
Directly following the tournament in Columbus, the Night Hawks will hit the road once more that next weekend to travel to compete in the annual Gulf Shores Invitational Tournament. TU will compete in five matches at the Invitational, first against Campbellsville on Friday, March, 4th, before playing Lyon College, Southeastern Baptist University, Faulkner, and Xavier University of Louisiana throughout the weekend.
On the other side of that tournament, TU will wrap up non-conference competition by traveling to Middle Georgia on Tuesday, March, 8th for another pair of games.
TU's SUN Conference opener will be the following weekend, as the Bobcats from St. Thomas University travel to Armory Field after splitting last year's season series in Miami Gardens.
After the Bobcats, the next week (week of March 15th) will be TU's first road trip of Conference competition as the Night Hawks head south to compete against SUN tournament finalist Webber International University. The matchup will be a chance for Thomas to avenge last year's semifinal loss to the Warriors.
That next week, TU will host a mid-week series against the Fire from Southeastern for the team's only weekday series of the 2022 season.
With only a single day to recover, the Night Hawks will hit the road once more that Friday traveling to compete in South Florida against the Gyrenes from Ave Maria.
Following the trip, TU will welcome a five day break before going south on I-75 to face the Royals of Warner University.
Another week-long break will bring Thomas into mid-April play, first hosting 2021 SUN Conference Champions Coastal Georgia April 9-10, before TU will makes its final regular season trip of the year, traveling to West Palm Beach in a battle against the Seahawks from Keiser University.
The Night Hawks wrap up the 2022 season with its final two SUN Conference series at home, as the University of South Carolina Beaufort and Florida Memorial pay Armory Field a visit in late-April.
The final match of the season will be the Lady Night Hawks Senior Day on April 30th, as the Night Hawks host the Lions for a 12 p.m. first pitch.
This season's SUN Conference tournament will be May 5-7, a location is yet to be determined, but, following the tournament, the NAIA will have its Opening Rounds of the National tournament May 16-18 before holding its 41st annual Softball World Series in Columbus, Ga.
For up-to-date information on Thomas University Softball and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU Softball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksSoftb.
