Nov. 3, 2015
SAN DIEGO -
2016 SCHEDULE: HTML | PDF | TOURNEY SCHEDULES: CCC | SDI | SDII
San Diego State softball head coach Kathy Van Wyk has announced a 54-game schedule for the 2016 season, highlighted by three home tournaments, including the 26th annual Campbell/Cartier Classic at SDSU Softball Stadium.
The Aztecs, who have won three of the past four Mountain West championships and seven in the 16-year history of the league, are scheduled to play 12 contests against teams that made last year's NCAA tournament.
SDSU is coming off a 38-20 season, advancing to the NCAA Regional final for the third time since 2011 and fifth time in 11 tournament trips before being eliminated by eventual Women's College World Series opponent UCLA. San Diego State, one of just 20 schools in the country to play in an NCAA tournament at least eight consecutive years, finished 2015 with seven school records, including batting average (.312), slugging percentage (.486), runs (324), home runs (63), RBIs (293), total bases (758) and hits (484).
On the docket for the Aztecs in 2016 are three games against teams that finished in the top 25 in the NCAA RPI last year (Kentucky, California and Texas A&M), nine among the top 50 and 21 against teams in the top 100.
SDSU begins its season on the road for the ninth straight year at Cal State Fullerton's Easton Tournament from Feb. 12-14. San Diego State kicks off the 2016 campaign against Canisius and host Titans on Feb. 12, then follows with games vs. UTSA and Weber State on Feb. 13, and another contest against UTSA on Feb. 14.
The Aztecs open their home portion of the schedule the following weekend with the 26th edition of the Campbell/Cartier Classic. SDSU is slated to meet 2015 WCWS qualifier Kentucky on Feb. 18 and NCAA tournament team California on Feb. 20. Also on the docket for San Diego State at the CCC is South Dakota and Texas Tech on Feb. 19, and San Diego on Feb. 21.
The Aztecs then take their talents to the always competitive Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (formerly the Cathedral City Classic) near Palm Springs, Calif., from Feb. 25-28. SDSU is scheduled to take on Oklahoma State (Feb. 25), Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 26), NCAA teams Nebraska and CSUN on Feb. 27, and Stanford (Feb. 28).
San Diego State returns to America's Finest City the following weekend (March 4-6) for the San Diego Classic I, which it co-hosts with San Diego. On the slate for the Aztecs are 2015 NCAA tourney team Texas A&M on March 4, UIC and Saint Joseph's on March 5, and Portland State on March 6.
After a midweek home game vs. Boston University on March 8, SDSU heads to Fresno, Calif., for the Fresno State Classic from March 11-13. Two of San Diego State's four opponents at the tournament will be against 2015 NCAA tournament teams - Weber State (March 11, the second time the Aztecs will meet WSU on the year) and Washington (March 12) - along with Cal State Bakersfield on both March 11 and March 13.
The Aztecs play another midweek game against Ohio State on March 16 before playing host to the massive San Diego Classic II from March 17-20 at SDSU Softball Stadium and the Sportsplex USA Santee (three fields). The tournament, which will feature 16 teams and 39 games, will have SDSU playing Harvard on March 17 at SDSU Softball Stadium, and against Brigham Young (March 18), Princeton and Cal Poly (March 19), and UC Santa Barbara (March 20) in Santee, Calif.
San Diego State kicks off the 2016 Mountain West schedule with a tough stretch of nine games in 10 days, beginning with a three-game road series at UNLV from March 24-26. The Aztecs follow with a home midweek series with Nevada from March 29-30, including a doubleheader on the first day of the series.
SDSU then travels to Fresno State the following weekend (April 1-3). The Bulldogs captured their first MW title last year, becoming the first team other than San Diego State or Brigham Young since 2004 (Colorado State) to win the MW regular season crown.
The Aztecs return home to San Diego for a weekend series with Colorado State from April 8-10 and follow with a trip to San Josè State from April 15-17.
After a rare weekend off (April 22-24), SDSU ends the MW slate with a home series with Utah State (April 29-May 1), a road three-game set at New Mexico (May 6-8) and a home series with Boise State (May 12-14).
The NCAA Regional kicks off postseason play from May 19-22 at 16 campus sites.