PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Pittsburg State softball team opens the season this weekend at the Eight State Classic in Bentonville, Ark. 

The tournament will host 31 teams from eight states and seven conferences; Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Great American Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference, Lone State Conference, Heartland Conference, and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Games will be played at Bentonville's Memorial Park and Bentonville High School's Tiger Athletic Complex on Feb. 13-15. Tickets atre $10 for a day pass or $20 for a full tournament pass.

The Gorillas open the tournament on Friday (Feb. 13) with an 11 a.m. game against Minnesota State-Mankato on Memorial Field 9. The Mavericks were 43-13 last season and hosted the NCAA Central Regional before falling to Emporia State. At 3 p.m. on Friday, the team will take on Northwestern Oklahoma on Memorial Field 6. The Rangers are 2-3 after opening the season in Texas last weekend.

Saturday the Gorillas will face Arkansas-Monticello at 1 p.m. at Bentonville High School. The team is 3-2 after a tournament in Arkadelphia, Ark. last weekend and a win over Minnesota-Duluth on Thursday afternoon. At 5 p.m. Pitt State plays Southern Nazarene on Memorial Field 8. The Crimson Storm is 1-3 after a tournament in Commerce, Texas on opening weekend. 

Sunday the tournament wraps up with a 1 p.m. game against Harding on Memorial Field 1 and a 3 p.m. game against Southern Arkansas on Memorial Field 7. The Bison are 2-4 on the season. The Southern Arkansas Muleriders have opened their season with a 3-3 record.

Pitt State is coming off a 30-24 2014 season. The team returns 10 players from last season's squad including leading hitter and All-American McKenzie Rynard. The Gorillas begin the season with an all new pitching staff that includes two freshman and a junior college transfer.

There will not be any live stats available for the games, but stay tuned to pittstategorillas.com for updates at the end of each day or follow the Gorillas on Twitter at @pittstgorillas.