KALAMAZOO, Mich.- The Western Michigan softball team has released the 2017 schedule, as well as announced its home fall doubleheader beginning at 1:30 p.m. against Aquinas College on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Western Michigan begins the 2017 campaign at the annual Kajikawa Classic hosted by Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. The tournament will take place from Feb. 9-12 with the Broncos playing in six games. This will be the ninth time the Broncos travel to the valley of the sun for the Kajikawa Classic, the Brown & Gold have participated every year since 2007, except in 2016.  

The Broncos continue their spring schedule in Chattanooga Tenn., where they will face the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga twice and Fairleigh Dickinson once before heading to Florida for the USF Under Armour Tournament. The Broncos will face 12 different opponents in Clearwater, Fla., between March 3 and March 12, including Penn State, Connecticut and Yale. The trip to Clearwater is chance for the team to work on chemistry against good opponents before heading into Mid-American Conference games.

Western Michigan will start MAC play on the road against Miami before facing non-conference opponents Fort Wayne and Michigan State. The Broncos host Ohio and Central Michigan in the first part of April, and travel to Buffalo for a three-game series and to Mount Pleasant for a single game at Central Michigan. The Broncos host Northern Illinois in mid-April before heading on the road for eight-straight games, facing Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, Toledo and national championship contender Michigan over that stetch.

The Broncos finish the regular season with a series homestand against Ball State on May 5 and May 6. The Mid-American Conference Tournament in Akron, Ohio will be the following week.