DAVIS, Calif. -- The preseason tournament schedule continues to roll on for UC Davis softball, with arguably the toughest field of the year now on tap in the form of this weekend's Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Aggies face four teams that competed in last year's NCAA postseason: No. 18 Mizzou, Wisconsin, Seattle and Texas A&M.

UP NEXT
What: Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
Who: Seattle (Feb. 21), No. 18 Mizzou (Feb. 21), Texas A&M (Feb. 22), RV Wisconsin (Feb. 22)
When: Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 21-22
Where: Cathedral City, Calif. 
Tournament Central: marynutterclassic.com

Indeed, Missouri competed in last year's NCAA Los Angeles Regional and handed eventual champion UCLA just its sixth loss of the season. Wisconsin, which received votes in Tuesday's USA Today/NFCA poll, won 43 games in 2019 and highlighted it season with an upset of No. 1 Oklahoma in the NCAA Norman Regional. Seattle comes off a school-record 40 wins and its first-ever NCAA postseason appearance. Texas A&M earned an at-large berth to the Austin Regional in 2019 and has already jumped out to an 8-3 start so far this season.

To head coach Erin Thorpe, facing such a field serves as an opportunity for her team to size itself up against a higher profile of opponent, particularly since the Aggies are coming off their best Division I season, and are already hitting a robust .344 with a .553 slugging average in their first 10 games. The Nutter Classic competition will thus provided an added test for her relatively experienced lineup.

"I think it's fun to be in that environment," said Thorpe. "You have some top programs out there and it's great to have that challenge, get that experience and start to feel like we're one of those teams. We belong out there and we can accomplish this feat. It's really exciting to get thrown out there and get challenged by some of the best teams in the nation. We want to fight."

Leading the offensive charge thus far is this week's Big West Conference Player of the Year, Alyse Rojas. She has hit safely in all 10 games (increasing that overall streak to 12), and enters the weekend at .568/.610/1.000 with 15 runs scored and eight extra-base hits. Shortstop Isabella Leon (.432/.475/.784) and catcher Riley Siegel (.310/.394/.724) have also provided some pop in the heart of the order, while the Aggies collectively have terrorized the basepaths with 16-for-18 stealing.

In the pitching circle, senior Katie Kibby continues to serve as the team's workhorse with seven appearances, 32.2 innings and a 3.64 ERA. She held opponents to a .203 average in last weekend's five games at the Golden State Classic. Freshman Kenedi Brown made three starts in Lake Elsinore after coming out of the bullpen during the first weekend. Despite taking two losses, Brown fanned 18 in 14.1 innings and held batters to a .232 average.

Overall, Thorpe is mostly concerned with her team's toughness in the face of the Nutter Classic competition.

"You don't get through a 56-game season and accomplish much if you don't have that fight," she said. "That's something where you go out every day, it doesn't matter who your opponent is, you fight to play your best game. The outcome is what the outcome is. If we can keep ourselves focused at controlling the things we can control, and playing our best game as consistently as possible, we're going to come together and do great things as a team."

UC Davis faces Seattle (10 a.m.) and Mizzou (1 p.m.) in Friday's action, then takes on Texas A&M (9:30 a.m.) and Wisconsin (noon) on Saturday. 

PINCH HITS
• The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, named for the game's outstanding player/coach/ambassador, will be live-streamed at the subscriber-based website FloSoftball (https://www.flosoftball.com/events/6578194-2020-mary-nutter-collegiate-classic).

• Left fielder Alyse Rojas has not struck out in 37 at-bats this year (the highest whiffless total in Division I through Sunday), and has gone 40 straight trips when last year's finale with Hawai'i is included in the streak... UC Davis does not have an official record for such a streak but shortstop Christa Castello went 143 consecutive at-bats without a strikeout from March 16, 2014 to March 7, 2015.

• Shortstop Isabella Leon's three homers thus far puts her career total at 10, making her the seventh Aggie in the program's Division I era to reach double digits... She joins Meghan Bradbury (14, 2016-19), Amy Nunez (14, 2011-15), Ashley Lotoszynski (13, 2015-18), Sarah Axelson (13, 2008-10), Kelly Zboralske (11, 2012, '14-16) and Kelly Harman (10, 2009-12).

ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.

MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE: Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 women's athletics programs. Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year. All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs. Visit this site for more information.

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