LOGAN, Utah – Returning to California for the third time in four weeks Utah State softball will play in the Capital Classic co-hosted by UC Davis and Sacramento State this weekend. 

USU will begin the tournament with two games in Sacramento on Friday, Feb. 28, taking on Saint Mary's (4-12) at 10 a.m. (MT), and Sacramento State (9-6) at 12:30 p.m. Play will move to Davis, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 29, as the Aggies take on Texas State (9-5) at 10 a.m., and UC Davis (7-7) at 12:30 p.m. Returning to Sacramento for the tournament finale, USU will play Santa Clara (7-7) on Sunday, March 1, at 10 a.m.

Single-day ticket prices are set at $10 at Sacramento State and $12 at UC Davis. A full tournament pass is available for purchase at both schools, but that will not provide access at the opposite field. A video stream will be available for Utah State's games against Sacramento State and UC Davis, and live stats will be provided for all five games. Social media coverage will also be available for each of Utah State's games during the weekend.

Saint Mary's enters the weekend with a 4-12 overall record. The Gaels hosted Nevada and Utah Valley last weekend, going 1-3 in the round robin tournament. Junior utility Maddie Gallagher leads Saint Mary's at the plate, where she is batting .317 (13-of-41). As a team, the Gaels are batting .240 (93-of-387) with 19 doubles, seven triples and eight home runs. Six pitchers have seen time in the circle for Saint Mary's, combining for a 5.43 ERA. Senior Eryn McCoy leads the group with a 3.91 ERA over five appearances, while freshman Kayla Scott has pitched 26.1 innings. Sonja Garnett is in her second season as the head coach at Saint Mary's, where she has an overall record of 18-49. Utah State is 5-4 all-time against the Gaels, and the teams last met in 2015.  

Sacramento State welcomes the Aggies with a 10-6 record. The Hornets have won their last four games, including a 4-3 win over tournament co-host UC Davis Wednesday. Freshman outfielder Haley Hanson is leading the Hornet offense, as she is hitting .380 (19-of-50) on the year. Sacramento Stat is batting .311 (136-of-438) as a team. The team has utilized five pitchers over the year, recording a 2.45 ERA. Senior Jensen Main has put in the majority of work, posting a 5-3 individual record while striking out 32 batters. Lori Perez is in her seventh season at the helm of the Sacramento State program, where she has compiled a 176-148-1 record. The Hornets lead the all-time series against the Aggies, 26-8, but the two teams have not played since 2014. 

Texas State opens the tournament with a 9-5 record, coming off a 2-3 performance at the Baylor Invitational last week. Senior infielder Bailee Carter is leading the Bobcats with a .278 (10-of-36) average, while the team is hitting .230 (78-of-339) as a whole. Texas State has used three pitchers this season, combining for a 1.80 ERA. The three pitchers have split time pretty evenly, allowing 78 hits and striking out 79 batters. Ricci Woodard is in her 20th season as the head coach at Texas State, where she has an all-time record of 679-425-1. The Aggies lead the series against the Bobcats, 6-3. The teams last met in 2013, when they spent one season together in the WAC. 

Tournament co-host UC Davis enters the weekend at 7-8 overall, coming off a mid-week loss at Sacramento State. Junior outfielder Alyse Rojas is leading the Davis Aggies at the plate, hitting a blistering .545 (30-of-55), including seven extra-base hits. As a team, UC Davis is hitting .317 (137-of-432). The Aggies have utilized four pitchers that have a combined ERA of 4.55. Freshman Kennedi Brown has a team-high 38 strikeouts in 34.2 innings of work. Erin Thorpe has a 101-120 record in her six seasons at the helm of the UC Davis program. With its Feb. 15 win over UC Davis, Utah State took a 4-3 lead in the all-time series between the two schools.

Santa Clara opens the tournament at 7-8 on the year, coming off a mid-week loss at San José State. Junior Sammy Needham is hitting a team-high .455 (20-of-44), while the Broncos are hitting .364 (113-of-387) overall. Six pitchers have seen time in the circle for Santa Clara, combining for a 5.51 ERA. Sophomore Regan Dias leads the group with a 1.35 ERA and a 3-0 record. Gina Carbonatto is in her first season as the head coach at Santa Clara. Utah State leads the all-time series against the Broncos, 6-1, including a 6-1 win last season. 

The Aggies are led by sophomore shortstop Lexi Orozco, who is hitting .361 (13-of-36), including four doubles and three home runs. As a team, Utah State is hitting .262 (96-of-367), including a Mountain West-best 26 doubles. Four USU pitchers have seen time in the circle, with sophomore Kapri Toone leading the group with a 1.36 ERA and a 3-1 record. In all, the Aggie pitching staff has a 3.85 ERA, allowing 112 hits and 49 earned runs. 

Fans can follow the Aggie softball program on Twitter, @USUSoftball, on Facebook at /USUSoftball or on Instagram, @ususoftball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.