TUCSON, Ariz. – With less than two months until the season's commencement, the Arizona softball team has released its 2016 schedule, head coach Mike Candrea announced on Tuesday.

The 56-game schedule will be among the nation's most trying slates as the Wildcats are set to take on the best that NCAA softball has to offer in preparation to make a run at the program's 23rd Women's College World Series appearance and ninth national championship.

Ten of Arizona's 56 regular-season contests will feature 2015 Women's College World Series opponents as UA will face five of the eight 2015 WCWS participants from a year ago (LSU, Alabama, Tennessee, UCLA and Oregon). Arizona will face 15 NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago. In all, 31 of Arizona's 56 contests will come against teams to make the NCAA Tournament last season.

Three ESPN games highlight Arizona's 23 televised contests. Twenty-three of Arizona's 24 conference games will be televised, with 20 of those being shown on the Pac-12 Networks. The first two games of Arizona's home series with UCLA (April 23-24) in addition to game three of Arizona's Sunday meeting with Oregon in Eugene (May 1) will be shown on ESPN2. The 23 televised games are a school record.

Arizona will switch up its nonconference schedule for the first time in three seasons as the Cats will participate in two pre-conference tournaments for the first time (Easton Bama Bash – Feb. 26-28; UT Arlington Tournament – March 11-13). For the first time since 1983, the Wildcats will not take part in the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., which has gone by the CSFU Pony Invitational, Pony-Louisville Slugger and Kia Klassic in the past.

The Cats kick off the 2016 campaign at home when they welcome Southern Utah, North Texas, Nebraska Omaha, Purdue and UC Santa Barbara for the Hillenbrand Invitational Feb. 11-14.

Arizona then hits the road for two weeks, beginning with the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Feb. 19-28), a tournament Arizona will be heading to for the seventh straight season and 10th overall. UA is set to meet three NCAA Tournament teams in the field, including WCWS participant LSU. Arizona and LSU have met in the postseason each of the last two seasons with Arizona eliminating LSU in the Tucson Regional in 2014 and the Tigers returning the favor with a victory in the 2015 Baton Rouge Super Regional. Following the meeting with LSU, the Cats will also face Central Michigan, Central Florida, Texas A&M and Cal Poly.

The Cats then head to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for the first time since 2000 to compete in the Easton Bama Bash (Feb. 26-28) where Arizona will meet the host Crimson Tide twice in addition to 2015 WCWS participant Tennessee and Marshall twice.

In Arizona's final home nonconference weekend, the Cats will host BYU, Mount St. Mary's, St. Francis, UTEP and James Madison for the Wildcat Invitational (March 3-6). The Wildcats will then take on 2015 national seed James Madison in a midweek affair as well.

UA will wrap up nonconference play in Arlington, Texas (March 11-13), visiting two-time Wildcat All-American Kristie Fox, the host of UT Arlington for a four-game event. In addition to Fox's Mustangs, Arizona will take on Texas and Samford (twice).

The Pac-12 slate begins in enemy territory as Arizona heads to Tempe to take on Arizona State Friday, March 18-Sunday March 20 in a series televised by Pac-12 Arizona.

Arizona then welcomes Utah for the Thursday-Saturday (March 24-26) Easter weekend. All three games will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.

After a week off, UA heads to Seattle for a Saturday-Monday series (April 2-4) with Washington. The three 7 p.m. affairs will air on the Pac-12 Networks.

During Arizona's conference bye the following week, the Cats will take on New Mexico State in a doubleheader on April 6 before welcoming Houston for a three-game series (April 8-10). All five games will be at Hillenbrand Stadium.

UA will then look to make it seven straight series wins over Stanford as the Cats and Cardinal meet in Palo Alto April 15-17 on the Pac-12 Networks.

The Cats will then prepare for a tough two-week stretch that will include six contests against the conference's top two teams each of the last two years, beginning with a home series vs. UCLA April 23-25. Saturday and Sunday's games will be on ESPN2 while Monday's finale will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.

Arizona's final road series comes at back-to-back-to-back Pac-12 Champion Oregon as the Cats will get a taste of Jane Sanders Stadium for the first time April 29-May 1.

UA then spends the final two weekends at home when it welcomes Oregon State (May 6-8) and California (May 12-14).

The NCAA Tournament commences May 20 with the Women's College World Series being held June 2-8 in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Follow Arizona Softball: For further coverage of Arizona softball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com and follow the team's Twitter and Instagram accounts (@UA_Softball).