TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University softball team will be beginning play in just over two months, announcing its schedule for the 2022 campaign.
 
Towson is set to compete against 16 opponents which had a .500 record or better in 2021, including eight league regular season champions, five league tournament champions and four conference runner-ups. 
 
The team is scheduled to play 28 home contests at the friendly-confines of Tiger Softball Stadium.  All home games are free to attend for the public.
 
In addition, the Colonial Athletic Association is returning to full play this year, with all league teams playing against each other.
 
Towson head coach Lisa Costello enters her 27^th season at the helm of the Tigers, just seven wins shy of 750 in her career with the Black & Gold.  Towson has earned a trio of top-three finishes in the CAA since 2016, combining for a 186-136 record since 2015, including the team earning a berth in the 2018 National Invitational Softball Championship.
 
The Tigers will play their first three weekends in road tournaments in the Carolinas, beginning with the Spartan Classic in Spartanburg, South Carolina from Feb. 12-13.  Towson kicks off the 2022 season vs. North Carolina Central, the 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference runner-up, on Feb. 12 at 11 a.m., followed by host USC Upstate, the 2021 Big South Conference runner-up, at 1 p.m.  The next day brings a game vs. UMass at 11 a.m. followed by a rematch with USC Upstate at 1 p.m.
 
The team returns to South Carolina the following weekend for five games in the Winthrop Tournament in Rock Hill.  Day 1 on Feb. 18 sees Towson challenge 2021 SoCon runner-up Western Carolina at 12:30 p.m., followed by East Tennessee State at 3 p.m.  On Feb. 19, Towson plays Robert Morris at 10 a.m. then defending 2021 Horizon League regular season champion Youngstown State at 12:30 p.m.  A rematch vs. Western Carolina is scheduled for Feb. 20 at 10 a.m.
 
Next weekend, Towson heads to North Carolina for the UNCG Invitational.  Towson's first two games are against Atlantic Coast Conference power Virginia on Feb. 25 at 12 p.m. and Feb. 26 at 9:30 a.m.  Later on the 26^th, Towson takes on host UNCG, the 2021 SoCon champion, at 2:30 p.m.  On the Feb. 27 getaway day, the Tigers take on Bucknell at 9 a.m. and Loyola-Chicago at 11:30 a.m.
 
Towson will open March with the first of two home tournaments, the TU DeMarini Invite, from Mar. 4-6.  Towson's first home game will be on Mar. 4 vs. Providence at 2:30 p.m. at the Tiger Softball Stadium.  The following day, Towson hosts Baltimore-rival Coppin State at 12:30 p.m. then Columbia at 3 p.m.  Towson concludes the tournament with a 3 p.m. rematch vs. Coppin State on Mar. 6.
 
Back to the Tiger Softball Stadium the following weekend for the TU Tiger Clash for Mar. 11-13.  On Mar. 11 at 12:30 p.m., Towson hosts 2021 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season champion Monmouth at 12:30 p.m. followed by UAlbany, which had the most America East regular season wins in 2021, at 3 p.m.  Towson has another couple of 3 p.m. games to finish the tournament: vs. Brown on Mar. 12 and vs. Monmouth on Mar. 13.
 
Towson's first mid-week battle will be a matchup against the reigning Big East champion as the Tigers visit Villanova on Mar. 16 for a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader.
 
Costello's squad travels the short trek to Catonsville for two games in the UMBC Spring Invite Tournament, playing a pair of 2 p.m. games: vs. Lafayette on Mar. 19 and vs. Quinnipiac on Mar. 20.
 
After a mid-week game at Mount St. Mary's on Mar. 23 at 2 p.m., Towson begins CAA play at James Madison, 2021 College World Series competitor.  The squads will play at doubleheader on Mar. 26 followed by a single game on Mar. 27, with times to be announced.
 
Towson returns home to take on Baltimore-rival Morgan State, the defending MEAC champion, for a mid-week doubleheader on Mar. 30 at 2 p.m., then returns to the road to resume league play in Philadelphia.  Towson takes on Drexel, the 2021 CAA Northern Division regular season champion, for a Apr. 2 doubleheader and an Apr. 3 single game, with game times to be determined at a later date.
 
The following 15 games will all be at home, including three league weekends.  After a Apr. 5 doubleheader vs. Georgetown, the Black & Gold battle UNCW for the CAA home opener, playing a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Apr. 9 and a 1 p.m. single game on Apr. 10.
 
A similar week commences, beginning with a 2 p.m. doubleheader vs. George Mason on Apr. 13, then a CAA weekend vs. Delaware: an Apr. 16 doubleheader at noon and an Apr. 17 single game at 1 p.m.
 
Towson hosts defending America East champion UMBC on Apr. 20 at 2 p.m. for a doubleheader, then takes on Elon to close out the homestand.  A doubleheader is set for 12 p.m. on Apr. 23, followed by one game on Apr. 24 at 1 p.m.
 
Towson's last CAA away weekend of the season will be at the College of Charleston.  The Tigers take on the Cougars for an Apr. 30 doubleheader and May 1 getaway game, with times to be announced later.
 
League play wraps up on the weekend of May 6-7 at home for Towson against Hofstra.  A doubleheader will be played on May 6 at noon followed by a single game on May 7.
 
The top five teams in the league with compete in the CAA Tournament from May 11-13 at a site to be determined.