RENO, Nev. – With aspirations to contend for a Mountain West championship, the Nevada softball team has announced its 2018 slate that is highlighted by a number of prominent matchups. The Wolf Pack is coming off of a 2017 campaign that saw a postseason berth for the first time since the 2009 season and the most conference wins (13) since joining the MW.

"Our schedule this season presents us with a lot of difficult matchups that I think will properly prepare us for conference play," second-year head coach Josh Taylor said. "Going up against teams like James Madison and LSU puts us in positions that we know will become valuable later on the in the season as we pursue a conference championship."
 
In total, Nevada has 52 games scheduled for the upcoming season, including 25 contests prior to the start of conference play. The Pack will also square up against a pair of Power-5 opponents and seven teams that participated in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
 
The season begins begin with a trip south of America's border to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as the Pack will compete in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. The three-day event starts with Nevada playing Louisiana Tech and James Madison on Feb. 8, and continues through Feb. 10 with games against Long Beach State and Louisiana Tech on the ninth and Nevada's second contest with Long Beach State on the final day of the tournament.
 
Following the international journey, the Pack will return to its home state and play in the Desert Classic in Las Vegas, where Nevada will play its next five games over the course of three days from Feb. 16-18. This tournament will also consist of one of Nevada's two Power-5 opponents on the year in Iowa State. Last season, the Pack took down the Cyclones 9-1 in six innings.
 
After its trip to the Las Vegas, the Wolf Pack will head west and battle in the Libby Matson Tournament in Stockton, Calif. from Feb. 23-25. The Pack will begin this three-day tournament with arguably its most difficult game of the season as Nevada will matchup against perennial power-house LSU. Nevada will also square up with Pacific, who the Pack defeated in comeback fashion in the postseason last year.
 
For the second year in a row, Nevada will head to St. George, Utah and participate in the Red Desert Classic, hosted by Southern Utah. The five games from March 2-4 will comprise of two contests with the host-Thunderbirds, who Nevada beat twice last season, and a matchup with Utah Valley, who the Pack will also see later in the year.
 
Nevada will compete in its final tournament of nonconference play with three games in Davis, Calif. for the UC Davis Tournament (March 8-10). The Pack completes its nonconference schedule prior to the start of MW play, when Nevada hosts a doubleheader inside Hixson Park with Sacramento State for the team's home-opener on March 14.
 
To open up the 24-game conference season, Nevada will travel to Fort Collins, Colo. for its three-game series with Colorado State (March 16-18), which will be followed the next week with its conference home-opener against New Mexico (March 23-25). The Wolf Pack will then hit the road again and take on Utah State (March 29-31) in Logan, Utah, before hosting reigning MW Champion San José State (April 6-8) in Reno.
 
Following its series with the Spartans, the Pack will head to California for the final time this season for a three-game stint with San Diego State (April 13-15). After its road trip to San Diego, Nevada will head home and host Boise State (April 20-22) before traveling to Las Vegas again for a series with in-state rival UNLV (April 27-29).
 
This matchup with the Rebels will mark the Pack's final road trip of the regular season. The three-game series is also part of the Governor's Series, which is the head-to-head athletic and academic competition between Nevada and UNLV that is currently tied a 4.5 points.
 
Nevada will take a break near the end of MW play and host Utah Valley (May 5-6) for a three-game series, where the two teams will have a doubleheader on May 5. The Pack closes out the regular season with a three-game set versus Fresno State (May 10-12).
 
Nevada returns three of its four All-Conference players from a year ago, including seniors Aaliyah Gibson and Erika Hansen as well as sophomore Kenzi Goins. The Pack also welcomes a wealth of fresh talent, having a total of 10 newcomers on its 2018 roster, all of whom will look to make an immediate impact this upcoming year.
 
For a full list of all the games and times, a complete schedule can be viewed on NevadaWolfPack.com, where season tickets can also be purchased or by calling 775-348-PACK.