Hempstead, NY – Two weeks into the 2024 season, the Hofstra softball team will face some of its toughest non-conference competition of the season when the Pride travels down to Austin, Texas to compete in the Longhorn Invitational from March 1-3. The Pride will face Texas and Penn State, both squads appearing in the NFCA Division I Coaches Poll, as well as Northwestern State and Tarleton State from Red & Charline McCombs Field.
 
Longhorn Invitational Schedule:
Friday, March 1 @ 11 a.m. (ET) vs. Northwestern State
Friday, March 1 @ 1:30 p.m. (ET) vs. Tarleton State
Saturday, March 2 @11 a.m. (ET) vs. Penn State
Saturday, March 2 @ 4 p.m. (ET) at #2 Texas
Sunday, March 3 @ 11 a.m. (ET) at #2 Texas

All five games of the Longhorn Invitational will be streamed on the Longhorn Network. Links to all video broadcasts, as well as to the live statistics for each game, are available on this page and on the softball schedule page.
 
Hofstra went 1-3 at the FDU Classic, setting their record at 2-5. Hofstra won 8-4 over Bucknell on Sunday, while they suffered a doubleheader defeat to the Bison on Friday and they dropped a one-run game against FDU on Sunday. Lily Yepez went 6-13 during the course of the series with an RBI and a pair of stolen bases, while Chelsea Manto went 4-13 with four swipes, putting her just two shy of breaking the program record of 83 career stolen bases set by Kristin Hallam.
 
Annabella Pisapia recorded the lone win for the Pride at the FDU Classic, going four innings and striking out two Bucknell batters on February 25.
 
Texas is currently ranked #2 in the latest NFCA Coaches Poll with a 12-1 record, while Penn State received votes and sports an 11-1 mark. Meanwhile, Tarleton State is 10-7 and Northwestern State is 9-10. This will be the first-ever meeting between Hofstra and Tarleton State, while Hofstra is 1-0 against Northwestern State, 5-4 against Penn State, and 2-2 versus Texas.