TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (January 24, 2018) - A new year and a new set of challenges lies ahead for one of the nation's top junior college softball programs.

The Salt Lake Community College Bruins open their 2018 campaign Friday, in a five-game tournament hosted by the College of Southern Nevada. The Bruins open the season with an 8:00 a.m. game against Yavapai College, followed by games against Eastern Arizona College and Arizona Western College. Saturday's games include matchups with Central Arizona College and Pima Community College.

SLCC had a significant feather added to its preseason cap, with the NJCAA national rankings putting the Bruins at No. 2 in the nation, behind Butler College. Salt Lake fell to Butler twice in the NJCAA national tournament, with Butler defeating the Bruins 11-7 in the de-facto national championship game. 

The Bruins went 51-8 in 2017, including a record of 36-2 in the Scenic West Athletic Conference. Salt Lake hosts its first game at Norma Carr Field on March 2, when the Bruins host the College of Southern Idaho.