Ferris State Softball Opens 2017 Season At Midwest Region Crossover This Weekend

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University softball team will begin the 2017 campaign this weekend as the Bulldogs compete in the Midwest Region Crossover in Evansville, Ind.

The Bulldogs will play a total of six games this weekend as they begin the year with one of their earliest starts ever in the event hosted by the University of Southern Indiana at Deaconess Sports Park.

The event runs Friday thru Sunday (Feb. 24-26) on five fields with the Bulldogs slated to play a total of six contests against regional foes. The tourney will include 13 schools from across the region's three conferences.

FSU opens the tournament on Friday against McKendree (Ill.) at 11 a.m. before facing host Southern Indiana at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs then battle Indianapolis and Truman State (Mo.) on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, before concluding the event against Bellarmine and Drury (Mo.) on Sunday with action slated for 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Following the trip to the Midwest Region Crossover, Ferris State heads to the Sunshine State March 5-13 to play a total of 12 games over a nine-day span against strong competition at The Spring Games in Florida.

This season, the Bulldogs are slated to open Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play against Ohio Dominican on the road March 25 with the first home action slated for Saturday, April 8, against Tiffin at the FSU Softball Field.

Ferris State returns a strong nucleus for the 2017 campaign from a squad which posted one of the nation's largest turnarounds last year with a 20-game improvement. The Bulldogs will open the 2017 season under interim head coach Adam Kirkpatrick, who was a key member of the coaching staff a year ago. 

Ferris State returns a pair of all-region selections in third baseman Bailey Darwin and outfielder Alexx Astorga along with several veterans in the form of 15 returning letterwinners. The roster also includes eight freshmen and a junior college transfer.

Last season, the Bulldogs posted a 36-18 overall record and finished tied for third overall in the GLIAC while making their first conference tournament appearance in three years. The 36 wins were the fourth-most in school history.

Ferris State has reached the NCAA Softball Tournament eight times in school history and has won 24 games in a season 11 of the past 13 seasons. Overall, the Bulldogs have made five trips to the NCAA Tourney since 2005.

Visit this link below for the complete 2017 FSU Softball Schedule:
Ferris State Softball Schedule