Red Mountain's annual Lion Country Classic opens Wednesday (Feb. 22) and that means softball is up and running for 2012.

Sixteen teams are entered in the four-day tourney that runs through Saturday Feb. 25. Games will be played both days at Red Mountain and Skyline high schools.

Featured teams are Red Mountain, last year's 5A-I champ, Deer Valley, last year's 5A-II champ, Basha (5A-I runner-up), Mesa Mountain View (5A-I final four), Gilbert (5A-I final four), Salpointe (5A-I final six); Chaparral (5A-II final four), Saguaro (4A-I final eight) and Queen Creek (4A-I final eight).

Here's the pool play schedule Wednesday through Friday. Bracket play takes place on Saturday with the top eight teams playing at Red Mountain and Skyline high schools and teams 9-16 competing at Skyline Park -- adjacent to Skyline HS:

AT RED MOUNTAIN HS

WEDNESDAY FEB. 22

3 p.m. -- Mesquite vs. Red Mountain; Mountain View vs. Desert Ridge; 5 p.m. -- Deer Valley vs. Red Mountain; Salpointe vs. Mesquite; 7 p.m. -- Chaparral vs. Salpointe.

THURSDAY FEB. 23

3 p.m. - Mountain View vs. Chaparral; 5 p.m. -- Red Mountain vs. Chaparral Mesquite vs. Tucson; 7 p.m. -- Tucson vs. Mountain View; Desert Ridge vs. Deer Valley.

FRIDAY FEB. 24

3 p.m. - Deer Valley vs.Mountain View; Desert Ridge vs. Tucson; 5 p.m. -- Red Mountain vs. Salpointe; Tucson vs. Deer Valley; 7 p.m. -- Salpointe vs. Desert Ridge; Chaparral vs. Mesquite.

AT SKYLINE HS

WEDNESDAY FEB. 22

3 p.m. -- Basha vs. Skyline; Queen Creek vs. Corona del Sol; 5 p.m. -- Mountain Pointe vs. Perry; Queen Creek vs. Gilbert; 7 p.m. -- Skyline vs. Mountain Pointe; Gilbert vs. Saguaro.

THURSDAY FEB. 23

3 p.m. -- Skyline vs. Queen Creek; Saguaro vs. Basha; 5 p.m. -- Corona vs. Basha; Perry vs. Saguaro; 7 p.m. -- Perry vs. Corona; Mountain Pointe vs. Gilbert.

FRIDAY FEB. 24

3 p.m. -- Gilbert vs. Perry; 5 p.m. -- Corona vs. Skyline; Saguaro vs. Mountain Pointe; 7 p.m. -- Basha vs. Queen Creek.

BRACKET PLAY SATURDAY FEB. 25

AT RED MOUNTAIN AND SKYLINE HS

Bracket 1-8 quarterfinals at 9:30 a.m.; semifinals at 12:30 p.m.; championship (RMHS) at 2:30 p.m.

AT SKYLINE SOFTBALL PARK

Bracket 9-16 -- Games at 9:30 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.