SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State 11th-year head coach Lori Perez announced the team's 2024 schedule, which is comprised of 51 games, including 17 at Shea Stadium.

This year's regular season schedule, which also includes 23 road games and 11 at neutral sites, runs from Feb. 9 until May 11. The Hornets will play in six preseason tournaments, including a pair of home events - NorCal Kickoff (Feb. 9-11) and the Capital Classic (Feb. 29-March 3).

The Big Sky Tournament will take place in Pocatello, Idaho, on May 8-11, and should the Hornets win the title, they would compete at NCAA Regionals which begin May 17.

Sacramento State is coming off a 2023 season in which the team won the Big Sky Conference regular season co-championship while finishing 27-20 overall and 10-5 in conference play. Sacramento State returns 18 players from a year ago, including the top three pitchers from last year's staff, and starters at every position except right field.

Of the Hornets' 36 non-conference games, 31 will be played in the state of California, and the other five will be in New Mexico. Sacramento State will play 15 Big Sky games featuring the usual three-game series format with doubleheaders on Fridays and single games on Saturday between March 29 and April 27.

In conference play, the Hornets will host three-game series vs. Portland State (April 12-13) and Montana (April 26-27). The team will travel for road series at Northern Colorado (March 29-30), Idaho State (April 5-6) and Weber State (April 19-20).

NOTABLES

• Sacramento State is one of eight NCAA Div. I softball programs in Northern California. The Hornets will play each of the other seven teams in non-league play: UC Davis, California, Pacific, Stanford, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara and San Jose State.
• Of the 22 NCAA Div. I softball programs in the state of California, the Hornets will play 12 of those teams, including Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, Cal Poly, and California Baptist.
• The Hornets have just 11 home dates on the schedule, but many of those days will be packed with softball. That includes the season-opening NorCal Kickoff (Feb. 9-11) where the Hornets play three games at Shea Stadium over two days against San Jose State, Middle Tennessee and Cal Poly. The Capital Classic (Feb. 29-Mar. 3) will see the Hornets play six times over four days against BYU, UC Davis, Santa Clara, Utah State and UC Santa Barbara.
• There is a 10-day break between the Hornets' final regular season game (April 27) and the beginning of the Big Sky Tournament (May 8).
• Senior Day, scheduled for April 27 vs. Montana, will be a big day. A whopping 11 seniors will be honored for their contributions prior to that game.
• All home conference dates will begin at noon.
• For the seventh straight season, Sacramento State's coaching staff includes Perez as head coach, and associate head coaches Vicky Rios and Danielle Kaminaka. Perez is in her 11th year as head coach, Kaminaka is also in her 11th season, and Rios is in her seventh year.
• The Hornets are a combined 105-62 in Big Sky play during Perez's head coaching tenure. That includes conference championships in 2018 and 2023.
• Every home game, and road games against a Big Sky opponent, will be streamed on ESPN+.