Tournament Schedule (PDF) | Tournament Central
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 23, 2024)--The Morgan State softball team will head to the 'Sunshine State' to kick off the 2025 season, as it will take part in the 22nd National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Leadoff Classic, which takes place Feb. 6-9 at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla. This four-day showcase of collegiate softball features 17 programs from eight different conferences.
 
It will be the first time in program history that the Lady Bears will compete in the Leadoff Classic.
 
"I'm really pleased to be invited to such a prestigious event hosted by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. We're looking forward to a great experience for our players," said Morgan State head coach Larry Hineline. "We want to expose our team to the higher level of play that this tournament offers and prepare us well for our MEAC [Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference] season and hopefully another run in the postseason."
  
Highlighting the field are 2024 Women's College World Series (WCWS) participant Duke and a pair of Super Regional programs in Missouri and Tennessee. The Tigers are the defending Leadoff tournament champions. In all, 14 programs competed in their conference tournament a year ago, with a total of eight advancing to the 2024 NCAA Regionals. 
 
Along with the three aforementioned programs, the other five 2024 regional participants in the field are Kentucky, Mississippi State, Morgan State, Northwestern and Penn State with Northwestern reaching the regional final.
 
Rounding out the field are Bethune-Cookman, Iowa, Kennesaw State, Marshall, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Southern Miss and Texas Tech.
 
Each team will play a minimum of five games over four days.
 
Morgan State, the reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion, begins play on Day 2 of competition on Friday, Feb. 7, when it faces Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) member Notre Dame at 10 a.m., before concluding the first full day of games against another ACC foe in Pittsburgh at 1 p.m.
 
On Saturday, Feb. 8, the Lady Bears will take on Kentucky out of the Southeast Conference at 12 p.m. The Wildcats finished 31-24 a year ago and were ranked as high as #13 in the nation. Kentucky would advance to the NCAA Stillwater Region.
 
Morgan State will return to the field Saturday evening at 6 p.m. to renew its rivalry with former MEAC foe, Bethune-Cookman. It will be the first meeting between the two programs in eight years when the Wildcats defeated Morgan State, 8-0 in the opening round of the 2017 MEAC softball tournament in Ormond Beach, Fla. (May 11, 2017).
 
The two were scheduled to meet for a three-game MEAC series in Daytona Beach, Fla., during the 2020 season, but the season was shortened due to the Covid-19 pandemic and B-CU did not compete during the 2021 campaign. The Wildcats would eventually leave the MEAC for the Southwestern Athletic Conference at the start of the 2021-22 athletic season.
 
Morgan State will wrap up the 2025 Leadoff Classic on Sunday, Feb. 9 against Marshall at 10 a.m.
 
All games will be streamed live (free) on the GameChanger App with contests on fields 8 and 9 featuring a dedicated broadcast team and a multi-camera view.
 
The 2025 Leadoff Classic marks the seventh consecutive tournament in Clearwater (2012-14, 2020, 2023-25). The first 15 tournaments were held in Columbus, Ga., from 1996 through 2010. Michigan has captured the most Leadoff titles with three, while Louisiana and Washington (won the inaugural in 1996) have each won twice.
 
Last season Missouri collected the 2024 title after it knocked off then-No. 5 Clemson, 4-1, in a winner-take-all matchup. The Tigers (5-0) went undefeated to earn their first Classic title. They also picked up wins over Utah (4-3), NC State (13-0), Liberty (10-1) and South Alabama (6-3).
 
2025 Participating Teams: Bethune-Cookman • Duke • Iowa • Nebraska • Kentucky • Marshall • Mississippi State • Missouri • Morgan State • Nebraska • Northwestern • Notre Dame • Penn State • Pitt • Southern Miss • Tennessee • Texas Tech
 
Division I Leadoff Classic champions: 2024 – Missouri; 2023 – Tennessee; 2020 – Mississippi State; 2014 – Hofstra; 2013 – Louisiana; 2012 – DePaul; 2010 – Illinois; 2008 – Michigan; 2007 – Georgia Tech & Michigan; 2005 – Oklahoma; 2004 – LSU; 2003 – UMass; 2002 – Nebraska; 2001 – Stanford; 2000 – Washington; 1999 – Louisiana; 1998 – Michigan; 1997 – South Carolina; 1996 – Washington
 
*2006 & 2009 tournaments were rained out.
 
Purchase Tickets 
Tickets are available for purchase. Please note tax and an additional third-party fee will be incurred during the purchasing process.
 
The NFCA media relations office contributed to portions of this release.
 
 
ABOUT NFCA
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded Leadoff Classic tournaments, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from webinars to awards, to in-person and virtual events, and a National Convention.
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.