Softball | 12/12/2024 3:22:00 PM

With the 2025 softball season approaching, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and head coach Aaron Robinson have announced the schedule for the upcoming season.

The Hawks will play 21 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) games as part of a 49-game overall schedule. This marks the second year with Robinson at the helm. The Hawks finished last season with an 11-35 record, and went 5-16 in MEAC play.

NONCONFERENCE MATCHUPS
The Maroon and Gray will compete in three tournaments, with 15 of the team's nonconference games played during those events. Additionally, the Hawks have 11 standalone nonconference games scheduled this season.

The Hawks begin the season in Atlanta with the three-day HBCU Invitational beginning Feb. 14. Their opponents include Grambling State, Prairie View A&M, Alabama A&M, Claflin and Florida A&M.

Following up, the team will travel to Jersey City, N.J., to take on Saint Peter's in a doubleheader on Feb. 19. On Feb. 21, the Hawks will head to Clinton, S.C., for the Scotsman Invitational for a three-day slate of games. The Hawks will go up against Cleveland State Day one and follow up with Valparaiso and Monmouth on Feb. 22. The final game will put the Hawks against Cleveland State, again, and Presbyterian on Feb. 23.

UMES returns home to host Saint Peter's for a doubleheader on Feb. 25. On March 4, the Hawks cross the bridge to face Towson.

The final tournament of the season for the Hawks is the three-day Golden Eagle Classic in Hattiesburg, Miss., starting on March 7 where they will face Detroit Mercy and North Dakota State twice and a single game against Southern Miss.

The Hawks also go on the road to Greensboro, N.C., for a two-game series against North Carolina A&T on March 18 and 19.

As the nonconference portion of the season wraps up, the Hawks will travel to George Washington on March 26 and follow up with a marquee game against Maryland in College Park on April 15. They will then host a doubleheader with Lincoln (Pa.) on April 16 and another doubleheader with Hampton on April 22.

CONFERENCE SLATE
UMES will face all seven MEAC opponents for a total of 21 games comprised of seven three-game series. The conference schedule begins with a three-game series in Baltimore against Coppin State on March 15 and 16.

On March 22 and 23, the Hawks will host the reigning MEAC champions Morgan State Bears and will again play host to the Howard Bison on March 29 and 30 for two three-game series.

The Hawks hit the road to open April with a trip to Norfolk State on April 5 and 6 before heading to North Carolina Central for games on April 12 and 13. UMES' final home conference series features a senior day celebration and a showdown against South Carolina State on April 18 and 19.

To close out their regular season, the Hawks will go up the road to face Delaware State on April 26 and 27.

The MEAC Tournament will be hosted in Norfolk, Va., beginning May 7.

OVERALL
In 2025, the Hawks will travel to seven states — Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia — as well as Washington, D.C.

The Maroon and Gray will compete within their eight-team conference for a chance to earn the program's first MEAC championship and MEAC tournament win since 2023.

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