Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney softball team begins its 2015 season this weekend at the annual 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark.

The large tournament features 31 schools playing 92 games over four days. Bentonville High School and Memorial Park serve as the host site; the University of Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms are the tournament hosts.

UNK will face three schools from the Great American Conference (UAM, Arkansas Tech and Harding, Ark.), one from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (Minnesota-Duluth) and two from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (Drury and William Jewell; both from Missouri).

Last year in this tournament, the Lopers beat WJC while falling to UMD and UAM. There will be no live stats throughout the weekend; check the UNK softball twitter feed for updates. 

Earlier this week, the Kearney Hub ran its season preview on UNK.