After a solid and soggy opening weekend of action, the six Big West softball clubs in action hope they can put away the rain gear and focus on the task at hand during the second week of early season tournament play.
UC Riverside gets the honor of becoming the first conference team to host a tournament in 2009 it welcomes San Diego, Colorado State and Tulsa to Amy S. Harrison Field for the aTen Construction Invitational. The Highlanders scheduled matchups, weather pending, are the Toreros Friday, the Rams and Golden Hurricane Saturday and USD again on Sunday.
RV/#24 Long Beach State and unbeaten UC Santa Barbara will be heading south on the I-5 this weekend...destination San Diego for the Campbell/Cartier Softball Classic hosted by #24/RVSan Diego State.
Preseason favorite LBSU, fresh off a 2-2 showing at the Cathedral City Kickoff, is scheduled to face off against #8/8 Stanford Friday, Utah State Saturday and #10/7 Washington Sunday. UCSB’s time in San Diego will be an extended affair as it has games scheduled from Thursday-Sunday. The Gauchos put their unblemished 4-0 record on the line against Pac-10 power #8/8 Stanford Thursday, take on the Huskies and Aggies Friday, the host Aztecs Saturday and the Cardinal against on Sunday.
The tournament also features an early season treat for Big West fans as the 49ers and Gauchos are scheduled to face off against one another Saturday afternoon in a rare non-conference showdown between Big West clubs.
Two league teams will head out of state for tournament play this weekend as Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis head to Las Vegas, Nev., for the traditionally tough Louisville Slugger Desert Classic hosted by UNLV.
CSF, which only played one of a scheduled four games last weekend due to rain, hopes Mother Nature doesn’t get in the way this weekend as the Titans will square off against Oregon State and Oregon Friday, Virginia and Utah Saturday and national power #13/11 Northwestern Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Aggies’ time in the desert will feature a slate as imposing as Cal State Fullerton’s. UCD takes on Brigham Young, Oregon State, Hawai’i and Utah over Saturday and Sunday. The Aggies hope for another strong showing at an early season tournament after going an impressive 3-1 at the Cathedral City Kickoff last weekend. Prior to heading to Sin City, UC Davis will open its home schedule with a single game against WAC foe San Jose State Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking of home openers, Pacific takes the weekend off from tournament play to host a pair of doubleheaders against some solid competition. The Tigers welcome Capital Region squad Sacramento State Wednesday, then take on former Big West and current WAC power #15/14 Fresno State Saturday.
Cal Poly and Cal State Northridge will get the week off from competition.