CHICAGO (January 10, 2023) – The Loyola University Chicago softball team, gearing up for its inaugural season in the Atlantic 10 Conference, has announced the complete 2023 schedule. The Ramblers will travel to eight different states including Florida, Texas and California while playing nine first-time opponents. Loyola's challenging spring slate features matchups against six NCAA Tournament qualifiers from a year ago.
 
Under fourth-year head coach Alicia Abbott, Loyola begins the season with five games at Florida Atlantic's Paradise Classic on Feb. 10-12. The Ramblers will play Iowa and Mississippi State, a 2022 NCAA Tournament participant, in the season-opening doubleheader in Boca Raton, Fla. The rest of the weekend includes matchups against host FAU, Bethune-Cookman and Stony Brook.
 
Next up, Loyola will head to the Texas Classic on Feb. 17-19, hosted by 2022 national runner-up Texas at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. The Ramblers will play twice against the Longhorns, as well as a pair of games against Incarnate Word, before closing the five-game weekend schedule against Nebraska Omaha.
 
The non-conference portion of the schedule rolls on with a second straight appearance in the Racer Classic, hosted by Murray State in Murray, Kentucky on Feb. 25-26. Loyola will play a pair of defending conference champions, Miami (OH) and Murray State on that Saturday, before matching up against Ball State and Miami (OH) again the next day.
 
Loyola bookends Spring Break with the final non-conference tournaments of the season, beginning with the Saluki Invitational in Carbondale, hosted by former Missouri Valley foe Southern Illinois on March 4-5. The Ramblers are scheduled for two games against Butler and single contests against SIU and UT Martin.
 
The following weekend, Loyola heads to the West Coast for five games at the Mustang Classic, hosted by Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The Ramblers will play back-to-back doubleheaders against Saint Mary's and Cal Poly, before closing the trip against reigning Summit League champion, South Dakota State.
 
After classes resume from Spring Break, Loyola prepares for the start of A-10 play with a conference-opening three-game series at George Mason in Fairfax. Va. on March 18-19.
 
Loyola's home opener against Saint Joseph's is slated for March 25-26 at Loyola Softball Park. Two days later, former MVC rival Bradley visits Chicago for a non-conference twinbill.
 
During league play, the Ramblers will visit St. Bonaventure (April 1-2), UMass (April 7-8), Saint Louis (April 19) and defending A-10 champion Fordham (April 29-30).
 
Loyola will play host to George Washington (April 15-16) and Rhode Island (April 22-23), before closing out the regular season with a three-game series against Dayton on May 6-7.

The A-10 Softball Championship, featuring the top six teams, will be hosted by Fordham the following week at Bahoshy Softball Complex in Bronx, N.Y.
 
Loyola finished the 2022 season at 17-30 (10-17 MVC) overall and claimed an opening round victory at the MVC Championship.