Three Big West softball programs have the benefit of sticking around their home venues this weekend as Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State host tournaments filled with solid competition.
CP welcomes clubs to San Luis Obispo for the Mustang Classic over the weekend. The Mustangs will be joined by Sacramento State, Temple, Utah State and fellow Big West member UC Riverside. The host club takes on the Owls and Hornets Friday, CSUS again Saturday and the Aggies and Temple Sunday. Meanwhile, UCR takes on Utah State and Temple Friday, the Owls and Sacramento State Saturday and wrap up the tourney Sunday against the Hornets.
The Cal State Northridge Worth Invitational will have four clubs in competition as CSUN welcomes Portland State, Quinnipiac and Rutgers to Matador Diamond. Cal State Northridge has a doubleheader scheduled for Friday against the Scarlet Knights, single games against the Vikings and Bobcats Saturday and finishes up the tournament Sunday against PSU.
Long Beach State has the largest field among the three tournament hosts at the Long Beach Invitational. The 49ers will be joined at Mayfair Park by Big West foe Cal State Fullerton, Longwood, Iowa, UCLA, Florida International and Syracuse. The Titans will host two of the tourney’s games at their home field in addition to playing at Mayfair.
LBSU's slate of games has it playing Longwood and Florida International Friday, Iowa Saturday and UCLA and Syracuse Sunday. Meanwhile, Cal State Fullerton takes on the Orange Friday at Anderson Family Field, shifts to Mayfair Saturday for games against the Panthers and Lancers, then back to Anderson Sunday for a single game against Iowa Sunday.
League-leading UC Davis makes the short trip to Stanford for the Stanford Classic, the final tournament the Aggies will play in prior to conference play.
UCD will have a tough slate at the tourney as it plays San Diego State and Penn State Saturday, then plays the host Cardinal and Illinois State Sunday. The Aggies will also get in a pair of games Wednesday as they travel to rival Sacramento State for an afternoon doubleheader. The games count toward the Causeway Cup, the annual trophy given to the school who has the most points the the institutions' head-to-head athletic matchups over 18 sports.
UC Santa Barbara will get back into tournament play over the upcoming weekend as the Gauchos head to Las Vegas for the UNLV Invitational.
The Gauchos, who own the league’s top neutral field record at 9-5, open the tournament Friday against the host Runnin' Rebels, then take on Texas Tech the same day. The tournamet wraps up the following day as UCSB’s slate has it playing Big East member Notre Dame and a second game against UNLV.
Pacific won’t take part in any tournaments this weekend, but the Tigers will head to Reno, Nev., for a pair of games.
The Tigers have a matchup Friday afternoon against Nevada, then take on Southern Utah in the Wolfpack’s home stadium Saturday morning.