Not all the contenders for Division I and Division II softball supremacy for 2015 are in the field for the 18th annual Desert Mountain Softball Invitational at Horizon Park in Scottsdale this week, but there are a number of them.

A thumb-nail sketch of 10  teams to watch follows as well as pool play schedule for games Tuesday March 17 through Friday March 20. Bracket play to be determined (three levels) runs all day Saturday March 21 (two brackets at Horizon Park and one at Desert Mountain HS).

TEAMS TO WATCH

Mountain Ridge: The D-I runners-up from last year are 8-2 and have ace Giselle Juarez pitching now instead of sitting due to injury. The Lady Lions have virtually their entire lineup back from last year. They edged Red Mountain a couple days ago, 4-3.

Horizon: T Statman is pitching as well as ever as the Lady Huskies are off to a 9-0 start. They won the Marcos de Niza-Dobson Tournament and will need to play defense along with typical Statman outings to win the tournament for the second time in three years. Horizon doesn't pound the ball and facing Canyon del Oro, Basha, Hamilton and Ironwood Ridge in pool play is demanding.

Canyon del Oro: Off to another good start (10-2) CDO has dropped games to D2 power Sahuaro (defending tourney champ) and a team on the rise Campo Verde.

Red Mountain: An 8-3 start doesn't  have the Lady Lions all smiles. The five-time defending D-I champions have lost three of four power rankng games - Hamilton, Mountain Ridge and Xavier. All have been close. Defense has been the sticky point.

Sahuaro: Last year's tournament champion have a win over Canyon del Oro tucked away and were thumped by Pinnacle for one of its only two losses. The Lady Cougars (6-2) feature pitcher Andie Larkins, headed to Seattle University this fall, as one of its holdovers from last year's solid season. They'e been idle since March 6.

Ironwood Ridge: The defending D-II champs are 8-3 and finished seventh at the Lion Country Classic last month. Facing Hamilton, Horizon and Pinnacle in pool play won't give the Nighthawks a pass to the elite bracket come Saturday.

Pinnacle: Very good start at 8-1 for new coach Kelly Loerrakker. The Lady Pioneers wins thus far included Basha, Hamilton, Xavier and Sahuaro. Only loss to Sunrise Mountain in Peoria District tournament last month.

Hamilton: The Lady Huskies get a couple of days to recuperate from six games at the Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City. They posted a 3-3 record there and are 5-5 overall. They have wins over Red Mountain, Sandra Day O'Connor and losses to Pinnacle, Mountain Ridge and Cienega.

Basha: Lots of new faces for the Lady Bears who are 6-3 and been idle since March 5. They have losses to Canyon del Oro, Sandra Day O'Connor and Piinnacle. Their marquee win is over Xavier. Xavier just won its tournament this past weekend.

Mountain Pointe: Finished fourth in the Lion Country Classic and sport a 6-4 record as this tourney begins. Has two losses to Red Mountain and one each to Sandra Day O'Connor and Salpointe. Has beaten Perry, Desert Ridge and Ironwood Ridge. 

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

TUESDAY MARCH 17

3 p.m. -- Highland vs. Pinnacle; Mtn. Pointe vs .Mtn. Ridge; Hamilton vs. Sahuaro. 5 p.m. -- Notre Dame vs. Highland; Millennium vs. Seton; Gilbert vs. Cactus; Chaparral vs. Sahuaro. 7 p.m. -- Mesa Mtn. View vs. Notre Dame; Seton vs. Arcadia; Corona del Sol vs. Desert Mountain; Mtn. Ridge vs. Basha.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 18

1 p.m. -- Hamilton vs. Ironwood Ridge; Arcadia vs. Deer Valley. 3 p.m. -- Red Mountain vs. Corona del Sol; Ironwood Ridge vs. Highland; Mesa vs. Arcadia; Horizon vs. Canyon del Oro. 5 p.m. -- Notre Dame vs. Mesa; Deer Valley vs. Basha; Notre Dame JV vs. Desert Mountain JV; Chaparral vs. Canyon del Oro. 7 p.m. -- Cactus vs. Red Mountain; Mesa Mtn. View vs. Mtn. Pointe; Queen Creek vs. Desert Mountain; Basha vs. Horizon.

THURSDAY MARCH 19

3 p.m. -- Horizon vs. Hamilton; Queen Creek vs. Mesa; Millennium vs. Gilbert; Cactus vs. Mtn. Pointe. 5 p.m. -- Pinnacle vs. Mesa Mtn. View; Notre Dame vs. Corona del Sol; Chaparral JV vs. Desert Mountain JV; Seton vs. Cactus. 7 p.m. -- Red Mountain vs. Pinnacle; Mtn. Ridge vs.Queen Creek; Gilbert vs. Desert Mountain; Highland vs. Chaparral.

FRIDAY MARCH 20

Noon -- Deer Valley vs. Millennium; Arcadia vs. Hamilton. 2 p.m. -- Ironwood Ridge vs. Horizon; Basha vs. Queen Creek; Mesa vs. Chaparral. 4 p.m. -- Canyon del Oro vs. Deer Valley; Mtn. Pointe vs. Millennium; Corona del Sol vs. Mtn. Ridge; Sahuaro vs. Gilbert. 6 p.m. -- Canyon del Oro vs. Mesa Mtn. View; Pinnacle vs. Ironwood Ridge; Seton vs. Desert Mtn. Sahuaro vs. Red Mountain.\

SATURDAY MARCH 21

BRACKET PLAY 1-8 seeds TBD at Horizon Park 11, 3 and 7 p.m.; 9-16 seeds TBD at Horizon Park 9 a.m.., 1 p.m. 5 p.m.; 17-24 seeds at Desert Mtn HS.