LOGAN, Utah – Utah State softball (0-0) will open its 2020 season at the Titan Classic hosted by Cal State Fullerton this weekend. The Aggies will start tournament play against Pacific and Middle Tennessee on Friday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. 

The weekend will continue on Saturday, Feb. 8, with a 1:30 p.m. contest  against Loyola Marymount, and a 4 p.m. meeting with the host Titans. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 10:30 a.m., when the Aggies take on UC Riverside.

The Titan Classic is in its third year under its current name, but this is the fifth season Cal State Fullerton has hosted a tournament on opening weekend. The tournament will feature 17 games between seven teams. All games will be played on the two diamonds at Anderson Family Field. 

Tickets to the Titan Classic games can be purchased online at fullertontitans.com, or on gameday at the box office. Full day passes for the tournament are available for $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for youth. The entirety of the tournament will be streamed online by FloSoftball. A monthly or annual subscription and related fee is required to view the weekend's games, but the account can be closed at any time. A radio broadcast will be provided for the Aggies' game against Cal State Fullerton. Live stats and social media coverage will also be available for each game of the Titan Classic.

Pacific opens the season with seven starters and nine total letterwinners back from a year ago, while adding nine newcomers. In 2019, the Tigers posted an overall record of 17-32, going 3-12 in West Coast Conference play. Brian Kolze is in his 28th season as the head coach at Pacific, where he has an overall record of 766-710-1. The Aggies and Tigers have a long history, with Pacific leading the all-time series, 36-25. The two teams also played on opening weekend last year, with USU taking the 5-1 win. 

Middle Tennessee returns all but one starter from its 2019 campaign, where it went 29-30 overall and 11-13 against Conference USA opponents. In all, the Blue Raiders return 18 letterwinners and added five new players to the roster. Jeff Breeden is set to begin his ninth season at the helm of the program, where he has an overall record of 149-234. Middle Tennessee has won all three games against the Aggies, including a 3-2 win at the 2018 Titan Classic. 

Another repeat opponent from the 2019 Titan Classic, Loyola Marymount comes into the season off a 40-21 finish. The Lions went 11-4 in conference play, finishing second in the WCC standings. LMU welcomes back five starters and 10 letterwinners from last season, while welcoming 11 new players to the team. Sami Strinz-Ward is est to start her fifth season at the head of the LMU progam, where she has an overall record of 126-97-1. Loyola Marymount leads the all-time series against the Aggies, 8-2, including a 3-2 win in Fullerton last season. 

Tournament host Cal State Fullerton looks to defend its Big West title this season, having gone 38-18 overall and 18-3 in conference play in 2019. The Titans return eight starters and 21 players from the 2019 roster, and added an additional seven players in the offseason. Kelly Ford is in her eighth season as the head coach at Cal State Fullerton, where she has compiled a record of 248-153-1. The Titans lead the all-time series, 49-22, including a 3-2 win opening weekend a year ago. 

UC Riverside comes into 2020 off a 26-27 overall finish last year, including an 8-13 ledger in Big West play. The Highlanders welcome back six starters and 12 total letterwiners, with four new players on the roster. Nikki Palmer, a former USU assistant coach, is in her fourth season as the head coach at UC Riverside, where she has an overall record of 92-75. UCR leads the all-time series against USU, 13-10. The teams last met in 2017, a 5-1 win for the Aggies.

Under seventh-year head coach Steve Johnson, Utah State softball returns five starters and 10 total letterwinners for its 2020 season after posting a 17-30 record and going 6-17 in Mountain West play in 2019. Offensively, USU's top returner is sophomore shortstop Lexi Orozco, who batted .336 in 134 at-bats last season. In the circle, the Aggies welcome back junior pitcher Delaney Hull, who posted 11 individual wins with a 5.69 ERA. Needing to fill the starting first base and catcher roles, senior outfielder Riley Plogger is the top returning defensive player for the Aggies, as she tallied 81 putouts with a .989 fielding percentage last season. In addition to the returning players, Utah State welcomes three new freshmen to the team.  

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.