TUCSON, Ariz.--The UH Hilo softball team will play seven games in four days this weekend at the Cactus Classic, played at Lincoln Park in Tucson.

For at least one long weekend, they will tour through parts of the Lone Star Conference, as six of the seven opponents hail from that 17-team loop. Southern Nazarene (Great American Conference) is the only non-Lone Star team on UHH's schedule in this NCAA Division II tournament.

The opponent list includes No. 2 nationally ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville. Of the seven teams that the Vulcans will face, only one currently has a losing record.

Here's a capsule look at the field (times listed are Arizona time). NOTE: Only the first two games will feature Live Stats as the host tournament is not providing (thank you Western New Mexico and West Texas A&M).

*Thursday (noon) vs. Western New Mexico: The Mustangs are 5-3 thus far, after going 2-3 at the Dixie Courtyard Classic. Common opponent with UHH is Central Washington, whom the Mustangs also defeated (5-3). The Vulcans lead the all-time series between the two team, 12-4. Western New Mexico was picked to finish 17th in the Lone Star Preseason Poll.

*Thursday (2:30 pm) vs. West Texas A&M: The Lady Buffs are 3-2, opening their season at the Desert Stinger in Las Vegas. Common opponent is Northwest Nazarene, whom both the Vulcans and Lady Buffs lost to. West Texas A&M was picked to finish 6th in the 17-team Lone Star. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

*Friday (12:30 pm) vs. Southern Nazarene: The Storm is 4-2 thus far after qualifying for the Great American Conference tournament last year and finishing the season 25-30. This is the first meeting between the Vulcans and the Oklahoma school.

Friday (5:30 pm) vs. St. Mary's TX: The Rattlers are 2-8 thus far after a rough start at the Dixie Courtyard Classic. Picked to finish 8th in the Lone Star, the Rattlers dropped games to host Dixie State, Central Washington, Colorado Mesa and Western Washington. This is the first meeting between the Vulcans and Rattlers.

Saturday (12:30 pm) vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville: The Javelinas are ranked No. 2 in the NFCA national preseason poll, and they are off to a 9-1 start in 2020. Already, they have wins over four Top 25 teams. They are the defending Lone Star and South Region champion, and they are picked to win the conference this spring. The Vulcans lead the all-time series vs. the Javelinas, 1-0.

Saturday (3 pm) vs. Eastern New Mexico: The Greyhounds are just 2-1 on the year aftern having the largest portion of their games cancelled at a tournament in Lubbock, Tex.  ENMU finished 12-30 last season, and are picked 15th in the Lone Star Preseason Poll. This is the first meeting between the Vulcans and Greyhounds.

Sunday (10 a.m.) vs. Texas Permian Basin: The Falcons are an even 5-5 so far, which includes a 1-0 win over No. 7 nationally ranked Central Oklahoma. UT Permian Basin is picked to finish 16th in the conference. This is the first meeting between the two teams.

Last Week: The Vulcans went 1-4 at the Dixie Courtyard Classic, mercy ruling Central Washington (9-1) in their opener but losing four straight after that. UHH lost in walk-off fashion to host Dixie (5-4) in nine innings and to Colorado Mesa (8-5) on a grand slam homer. They out-hit Northwest Nazarene but lost (8-5) and were on the other side of a mercy rule verdict against Western Washington (10-0). 

Callen Says: Head coach Callen Perreira said, "We just as easily could be 4-1 as 1-4. We just didn't put together a complete game against anyone after the first game. We have a lot to work on, so the timing of the Arizona games is nice."

Offense Clicks (Mostly): With the exception of the loss to WWU, the Vulcan offense provided enough to win. The Vulcans are hitting .318 as a team, led by Kiarra Lincoln's .526 average. Lincoln was named the PacWest Player of the Week after going 10-for-19 in the tournament. Catcher Markie Okamoto is hitting .438 with six RBI, and Kimberly Olivas is also over .400 at .429. 

Pitching Improvement: Coach Perreira will be looking for improvement in the pitching circle this week. Valerie Alvarado was solid in the opener against CWU, pitching five innings and allowing only three hits and one run. Billi Derleth pitched 2.2 innings of effective relief against Dixie State, but after that the Vulcans struggled. They take a 7.00 team ERA to Tucson, in hopes of improvement. 

What's Next: After the Cactus Classic, the Vulcans will return home to rest and get ready for their Pacific West Conference opener on Feb. 27 at home against Azusa Pacific.