HACKENSACK, N.J. – Fairleigh Dickinson softball head coach Chris Foye revealed the full 2020 schedule on Wednesday, with the Knights slated to compete in 54 games that includes 19 contests at FDU Softball Field.
 
The Knights will be making two separate trips to Texas at the beginning of the season, including a tournament at nationally-ranked Texas Tech, along with competing in road games in Virginia and Maryland before playing its first home contest of the 2020 calendar against St. John's on Wednesday, March 11. FDU will also host five additional non-conference doubleheaders to go with Northeast Conference twinbills against Mount St. Mary's, Wagner, Bryant and Central Connecticut State.
 
Also included among the opponents FDU faces this season are three NCAA Tournament teams, two conference tournament champions and two conference regular-season champions.
 
"Our out of conference schedule will be strong this spring playing teams that won their conference championships along with a few teams that made NCAA Regionals last year," Foye said. "Texas Tech will probably be our toughest opponent but we are looking forward to the challenge of playing a top-20 team in the country twice at their place. The team has remained focused throughout the fall, and if we can stay healthy I expect great things from this group."
 
FDU opens the 2020 campaign at a four-team tournament hosted by University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. The Knights play Grambling State in the season opener and will also face host Incarnate Word as well as Cleveland State and Delaware in the three-day tournament that starts Friday, February 14.
 
After an 11-day break, the Knights then make a trip to the Tidewater region of Virginia to play five games beginning with a doubleheader at Norfolk State on February 28. FDU also plays games against Delaware State and Hampton the following day at Hampton, then end the weekend with a single game with Delaware State on the campus of Norfolk State.
 
Five days later, FDU again embarks on a trip to Texas to play in a tournament hosted by Texas Tech from March 6-8. The Knights play five games in Lubbock, including two against the Big-12 host Texas Tech, who made the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team last season by going 42-16; two against defending MAAC regular-season champion Marist and an additional game facing Delaware State.
 
The Knights host St. John's three days after returning from Texas at 2:30 p.m., at FDU Softball Field before going to Maryland for doubleheaders at Morgan State and reigning America East conference champion UMBC. FDU then plays St. Peter's and Hartford in home games on March 19 and 25, respectively, before starting conference play on Saturday, March 28, at defending NEC regular-season champion LIU.
 
The next four doubleheaders are home contests for the Knights, first against Coppin State on March 31 followed by NEC rivals Mount St. Mary's and Wagner coming to Hackensack on April 4 and 5, respectively. A non-conference tilt with Drexel ends the homestand on April 7.
 
FDU travels the following weekend for NEC doubleheaders at Merrimack and Sacred Heart before making a short trip across the Hudson River to play at Manhattan on April 14 and again at Iona on April 16. The Knights then return home to host Bryant and CCSU in NEC doubleheaders on April 18 and 19, respectively.
 
The next week features road doubleheaders at Lafayette (April 22), Robert Morris (April 25) and reigning NEC champion Saint Francis U (April 26) before the Knights close out the regular season on April 29 at home against Rider.
 
The 2020 Northeast Conference Tournament is scheduled for May 7-9 at the site of the regular-season champion.
 
The Knights enter the 2020 season with a roster featuring 10 returners and eight newcomers, including seven freshmen, five sophomores, three juniors and three seniors. FDU ended the 2019 season with a 14-35 record and a 4-10 mark in the NEC, finishing second in the league in both team fielding percentage (.969) and strikeouts thrown (225) and posted a 4.06 ERA as a team. FDU ranked among the top 50 teams nationally in fielding percentage as well.
 
"I am extremely excited about this upcoming season and I like where we are at right now both physically and mentally," Foye said. "We have a great mix of upperclassmen to go along with a large group of underclassmen that have worked well together in just a short few months. The girls have worked extremely hard this fall and they are ready for a big year. I believe we have the most talented team we have had since I became the head coach, so the pieces are in place for a positive spring campaign."
 
"Last year we finished among the top 50 teams in the country in fielding percentage and I think that will definitely be the strongest aspect of this team again this year," Foye continued. "In the circle we return two of our top pitchers and have added two new faces in one freshman and one sophomore transfer. Offensively we added some players with power bats and speed, two things we lacked last year. That was our main focus in recruiting and we feel the eight newcomers that joined us this fall will fill that role."