RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside head softball coach Nikki Palmer announced the program's home-heavy 2022 schedule on Thursday. Click here to view the full schedule. 

UCR will play 21 games at Amy S. Harrison field this coming spring, with nine road games and eight neutral contests. 

"I'm thrilled with the competitive schedule that we have put together for the upcoming season," Palmer said. "We have strong competition set up for the preseason to prepare us for the consistently strenuous conference schedule ahead."

The Highlanders start off the year with a five-game homestand at Amy S. Harrison Field, hosting Boise State in the season opener on February 10 before welcoming Utah Valley, Portland State and Pacific for the Lynn R. Miller Classic. 

After a midweek Crosstown Showdown with California Baptist at home, UCR will enter tournament play with the USD Tournament and the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Tournament play rounds out during the first week of March with the annual Amy S. Harrison Classic. 

UC Riverside will host San Diego and a doubleheader with Saint Mary's before diving into Big West play, when UCR welcomes reigning conference champion Long Beach State to the Inland Empire. The following week, the Highlanders will take a two-week trip for series at Cal Poly and Cal State Fullerton. Remaining home Big West series will be against UC Davis, Hawaii, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. The regular season concludes on May 13-14 with a three-game series at CSU Bakersfield. 

In total, the Highlanders will test their merit against four teams from last year's NCAA Tournament: Seattle U, Portland State, Long Beach State and South Dakota State.