Only in the Pacific-10 Conference could a team ranked eighth in the national pre-season polls find itself picked to finish fifth in its conference.

The No. 8 Stanford women’s softball team will begin its 2007 season at the Kajikawa Classic in Phoenix this weekend. The Cardinal is set to play four games in three days, starting Friday with matchups against Western Michigan at 3:30 p.m. and Utah at 5:30 p.m.

“Western Michigan is a really competitive team which finished second in their conference tourney last year and just missed the NCAA tournament,” said head coach John Rittman, who is entering his eleventh year with Stanford. “That’s going to be a great opening game for us to see where we are as a team.”

Western Michigan’s strong offense is powered by last year’s national doubles champ, senior outfielder Kristi Strange. Strange hit .340 with 23 doubles in 2006 to lead the Broncos. Stanford is 2-1 all-time against the Broncos but has not faced them since the 2003 season.

The Utes’ strength lies in their pitching tandem of Karina Cannon and Meghan Deyer. Cannon finished the 2006 season with a 20-8 record while Deyer averaged 9.2 strikeouts per game. The Cardinal holds an all-time advantage of 5-0 against Utah.

“Utah is a very talented team and was in the postseason last year,” Rittman said. “We’re going to be challenged from the first day of competition, and it’s good to let the players see where they are.”

On Saturday, Stanford will face two ranked opponents, including last year’s national runner-up, No. 4 Northwestern, at 11 a.m. and last year’s third-place finisher, No. 17 Texas, at 1 p.m.

“Day two is just outstanding when you’re talking about playing Northwestern and Texas,” Rittman said.

Northwestern is coming off a 50-win season with three returning NFCA All-Americans. The team’s pitching staff is led by senior Eileen Canney, who capped the 2006 season with 26 wins and a 1.20 ERA. The Cardinal is 2-3 all-time against the Wildcats but last won a 5-4 decision against them at the Fort Worth Classic in Fullerton, Calif., during the 2006 season.

Stanford will face Texas once again at the Classic after losing to the Longhorns 2-0 last season. Texas boasted a 55-9 record last year and finished third at the Women’s College World Series. Texas’ offense is led by shortstop Desiree Williams, who blasted 12 homeruns with a .333 average last season. Their defense is anchored by senior catcher Megan Willis, the Big-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Stanford is 0-2 against Texas all-time, with both losses coming last season.

On Sunday, the Cardinal will finish the Classic with an 11 a.m. matchup against Northwestern State.

The tough weekend ahead is only a preview of the difficult Pac-10 schedule to come. Despite being ranked eighth in the preseason poll conducted by NCAA Division I head coaches, Stanford women were selected to finish fifth in the perennially strong Pac-10. However, Rittman said that his team’s focus is not on preseason accolades.

“After the season gets going, the only poll that matters is the final poll, so we try not to get too caught up in it,” Rittman said. “It’s still exciting to know that enough people voting think that highly of our program and who we have.”

Four teams, No. 1 Arizona, No. 3 UCLA, No. 5 Arizona State and No. 6 Oregon State, are all projected to finish above No. 8 Stanford in the conference.

“The Pac-10 is a grind of a conference every year as far as competition level, so you know that you’ll be playing against the elite in the country when you step into our conference,” Rittman said. “This year is no different with us being ranked eighth nationally and fifth in the conference. It just goes to show the strength and talent level of the Pac-10.”

And the Cardinal’s schedule will not ease up as the season progresses.

Stanford has one of the most challenging schedules in the nation. The squad is set to face nine top-25 opponents and 15 teams from the 2006 NCAA Championship. Rittman eagerly anticipates the demanding schedule.

“Our players are well aware that we try to set up our schedule before conference to prepare us for conference,” he said. “We also know that our conference season will prepare us for the postseason. It’s the best of both worlds.”

In spite of the tough schedule ahead of them, history is on Rittman’s side. He has a 430-199-1 record as Stanford’s head coach and has nine consecutive 40-win seasons with postseason appearances.

Leading the Cardinal as well are sophomore Maddy Coon and senior Jackie Rinehart, both of whom were recently named to the Top-50 Watch List for National Collegiate Player of the Year honors.

“First of all, that’s great for our program to have two players in the Top-50 Watch List right now, and I think we can expect a lot from them,” Rittman said. “They give it their all every time they step on the field, and they’re both going to provide leadership for the team.

“They’ve been through the rigor of our schedule before,” he continued. “They’re just really exciting players to come out and watch.”

Stanford also has a strong youth element in this year’s roster. The Cardinal’s recruiting class this year includes Alissa Haber and Rosey Neill, who helped Team USA win the 2006 Junior Women’s Pan American Championship in Puerto Rico. They are joined by fellow freshmen Michelle Schroeder and Shannon Koplitz.

“We’re looking for all four to provide some spark in our lineup this year,” Rittman said. “Haber has speed, can hit for power and can utilize her short game to get on base; Neill shows power at the plate and is a talented catcher who works extremely well with our pitchers. Schroeder is an outfielder who makes a lot of things happen offensively, and Koplitz is a true utility player for us this year who has come a long way with her offseason workouts.”

With a bright future ahead of them, the Stanford women look to improve upon last year’s 42-18 record and go to the NCAA Super Regional.

“In college softball, there’s a lot of parity, and if you don’t bring your ‘A’ game, you’re liable to get beat,” Rittman said. “This first tournament of the year will give us a good indication of where we’re at and what we need to work on.”

Rinehart summed up her high expectations for the Cardinal this season.

“I want to make it back to the College World Series,” she said. “I was there my freshman year and got the feel of what it’s like to be there. We have a great chance of making it back if we just stay focused and keep working hard. We just want to make Stanford proud.”