Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University softball team's 2017 schedule was announced on Tuesday by head coach Craig Coleman and features 52 games scheduled over 29 dates. The upcoming slate includes five spring tournaments before the Colonials host Youngstown State in the home opener on Wednesday, March 29. Fifteen doubleheaders dot the schedule.
 
For the fourth consecutive season, Robert Morris opens its slate at the Cleveland State Dome Tournament on February 11 when the air-filled dome takes over Krenzler Field on the suburban Cleveland campus. Canisius and Niagara will serve as team's opponents on that Saturday with Bowling Green added to the second day schedule along with a second meeting against the Purple Eagles.
 
The team's first venture south takes the squad to Madeira Beach, Fla., to take part in the Eastern Michigan University Madeira Beach Spring Invitational. RMU will play five games over three days beginning with UMass and Siena on Friday, Feb. 17. Contests against Central Michigan and host Eastern Michigan follow on Saturday before the weekend ends against Big 10 member Michigan State Sunday.
 
Five games follow at the Charlotte Tournament Feb. 24 through Feb. 26 with Fairfield, Charlotte and La Salle making up the rest of the field before a pair of playoff games wrap up the event. Single games at UNC Wilmington and Coastal Carolina are penciled in for March 8 and March 9.
 
Those one-off dates precede a five-game foray at the Holy City Showdown hosted by the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. The Colonials will take on UMass Lowell, Chattanooga, Northern Kentucky, host Charleston and Atlantic Coast Conference member North Carolina over three days from March 10 through March 12.
 
The team's final spring tournament will be the Towson Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, March 18-19. A doubleheader against Villanova marks the opening day of action. A non-league game against Sacred Heart is scheduled for Sunday before the Colonials meet host Towson to conclude play.
 
Another Big 10 team in the form of Penn State awaits Robert Morris for a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 22. The team's home opener follows a week later when the Penguins visit North Athletic Complex for a pair of contests with the rest of schedule consisting of doubleheaders.
 
The Northeast Conference schedule begins at Bryant and Central Connecticut on April 1 and 2. Robert Morris travels to Olean, N.Y., for a pair of games against St. Bonaventure April 20. RMU hosts its first two league games against Mount St. Mary's and LIU Brooklyn April 8 and 9 before the Colonials head back on the road to Saint Francis University.
 
The final three dates of the non-conference schedule are penciled in for April 15 at home against Bucknell, at home again April 17 versus Canisius and finishes at Saint Peter's on April 21. That final date against the Peahens immediately precedes a league-date at Fairleigh Dickinson. The regular season schedule is capped by home contests against Wagner on April 29 and Sacred Heart April 30.