The University of Illinois Springfield softball program released its 2022 schedule this afternoon. The Prairie Stars are scheduled to play 49 contests in the regular season, including 24 at LOLJOS.
 
UIS opens up the year with two out-of-town tournaments. UIS will be in Bentonville, Ark. on Feb. 11-13, and will compete in Owenboro, Ky. on Feb. 25-27. UIS will face a 2021 NCAA Tournament team in each of those events.
 
The Prairie Stars will have their first home games of the year on March 5-7 at the Springfield Invitational. UIS will have four games against Ohio Dominican and two versus Hillsdale. Both of those teams made last year's NCAA regional field.
 
The round-robin conference season will start on March 11 when UIS hosts a double-header against Missouri-St. Louis. Other home doubleheaders are against Lewis, Indianapolis, Quincy, Maryville, Southwest Baptist, and Rockhurst. Road GLVC twinbills are at Lindenwood, Southern Indiana, McKendree, William Jewell, Truman State, Missouri S&T, and Drury. Indianapolis is the defending conference champion, and two more games for UIS against a NCAA tournament qualifier last spring.
 
Rounding out the schedule are two more non-conference home doubleheaders versus Minnesota State, Moorhead, and Missouri Western.
 
The GLVC Tournament will take place on May 5-8 in East Peoria, Ill. The top eight teams in the conference will earn a spot in that event. The Prairie Stars are looking for another conference tournament appearance, as well as a return to the NCAA Tournament after missing last year's field.
 
UIS finished last season with a 19-27 overall record, and a 14-14 conference mark. The Prairie Stars went 10-4 down the stretch to secure a spot in the GLVC Tournament.

Complete Softball Schedule