The 2012 softball schedule is already underway, but the Bulldogs have a full slate of competition to look forward to in the coming months.

Head coach Margie Wright’s squad will take on teams from 11 different conferences across the college softball landscape.

A regular occurrence in recent seasons, Fresno State will host a handful of games at Bulldog Diamond to begin the 2012 season before hitting the road for nearly a month. The Bulldogs will compete in the Cathedral City Classic Feb. 23-25 against some of the nation’s top competition.

Fresno State finished 15-6 in 2011, including a 16-2 home record, but fell in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament finals to New Mexico State.

Like their baseball counterparts, the Bulldogs were picked to win the 2012 WAC softball championship in the preseason poll. Hawaii, New Mexico State and BYU figure to give the Bulldogs the most trouble as Fresno State searches for its 11th conference title and fourth conference tournament title.

The Bulldogs will take on five teams throughout 2012 on the most-recent USA Today/NFCA Coaches top-25, including No. 3 California in the Bayer Cropscience Classic at Bulldog Diamond.

Fresno State has 53 games remaining on the schedule, 29 of which will occur at home. The 2012 WAC Tournament will take place May 9-12 in Las Cruces, N.M.