SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Cal State San Marcos softball announced its 2020 schedule on Monday, featuring 22 home games, 23 away games, two tournaments and an exhibition against 2020 USA Softball Women's National Team (WNT).
 
CSUSM softball joins a list of elite softball teams to face Team USA when the "Stand Beside Her" tour comes to Southern California. The Cougars will play the first game of an exhibition doubleheader on March 8 at 1 p.m. at Bill Barber Park in Irvine. The "Stand Beside Her" tour is a series of competitions for Team USA as they prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, softball's first return to the Olympics since 2008.

Fans will have the opportunity to cheer the Cougars live as they compete against Team USA for the first time in program history. The Red, White and Blue will play UC San Diego approximately 35 minutes after the CSUSM-Team USA game at Bill Barber Park. On March 10, Team USA will take on San Diego State and Cal State Northridge at Santee Sportsplex.

Members of Team USA will conduct youth clinics on March 7 in Irvine and on March 9 in Santee. The clinics will include on-field instruction with world-class athletes in a fun and fast-paced environment. Participants will learn offensive and defensive techniques to take their game to the next level. Team USA members will also discuss the mental aspect of the game and how to train your mind like a champion. The clinics are open to athletes from age 8-18 and players will be separated by age and skill level in order to provide the best and most appropriate instruction to each player. Autograph session immediately following the camp.

 

IRVINE TICKET LINK	SANTEE TICKET LINK
March 8: CSUSM/UCSD vs. Team USA	March 10: SDSU/CSUN vs. Team USA in Santee
$75 - VIP $35 - Seat Back Chairs $20 - Non-Seat Chairs/Standing Room	$75 - VIP $45 - Seat Back Chairs $15 - Non-Seat Chairs/Standing Room
March 7: Youth Clinic	March 9: Youth Clinic

 
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our team, to be able to get on the field with the greatest players in the world," said CSUSM Head Coach Stef Ewing. "It's going to be a memorable experience for our student-athletes, and we are excited to help Team USA prepare for the 2020 Olympics, while supporting the sport of softball."

"We are looking forward to coming back to Irvine for not only training but also for some competitive games to ready us for the ramping up of our schedule in late spring and summer," said Team USA Softball Head Coach Ken Eriksen. "These competitions are not only good for us but they can be bell weathers for college programs and the players. We look forward to Coach Ewing having the Cougars prepared for a great experience."
 
"This is an incredible opportunity for our student-athletes to be surrounded by the best softball athletes in the world," said Director of Athletics Jennifer Milo. "The women on Team USA were once in their shoes as college student-athletes, and this entire experience is something our team will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Thank you to USA softball of Southern California for inviting us to participate in this experience of a lifetime."


2020 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
The Cougars open their 2020 regular season at the Concordia Irvine Kickoff Classic on Jan. 31-Feb. 2. CSUSM's home series opener is against Humboldt State on Feb. 7-8. Then in March, the Cougars make a return visit to  Stanislaus State's Tournament of Champions on March 27-29, before coming back to San Marcos for their last home series against Cal State Monterey Bay on April 17-18. The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference tournament is set for April 30-May 5. To view their full 2020 schedule, click here. 

The Cougars return 14 from last year's squad including All-CCAA honoree Melody Forstie. The 2020 recruiting class consisted of 17 new faces with 13 freshmen, two junior college transfers and two four-year university transfers.