THIBODAUX, La. – After having a total of six games wiped out due to weather conditions over the past week, the Nicholls State University softball team returns to the diamond this weekend to take part in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic in Gulfport, Miss.
 
The Colonels open up play on Friday at 2 p.m. against Jackson State before a 7 p.m. matchup with Mississippi Valley State. On Saturday, Nicholls will take on MSVU again at 5:30 p.m. and will wrap up the weekend with an 8 p.m. game with Southern Miss.
 
 Nicholls (6-5) has not played since Feb. 17 when they fell to No. 23 South Alabama, 7-2. The Colonels rallied with two runs in the sixth to tie the game, but South Alabama scored five in their final inning to put the game away.
 
The Red and Gray started out the season with a 4-1 record but have since dropped four of six. The Colonels' schedule has been tough recently, causing a dip in their statistics. Nicholls is batting .280 as a team, led by sophomore Haley Stevenson's .419 average. Kayla Prater is second on the squad at .333, followed by Alexis Huss (.313) and Danielle Phillips (.297). Leading the team in RBIs is Phillips with 13 and Prater, who has reached base in all 11 games, is next with 11.
 
In the circle, Nicholls posts a 3.22 ERA and has three players with two wins. Taylor Hastings is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA, Hannah Haydel is 2-2 with a 2.85 ERA and Jackie Johnson has a 2-3 mark with a 3.68 ERA. Johnson has had the most work so far this season, tossing 32.1 innings with 22 strikeouts.
 
Jackson State enters the tournament with a 4-12 record, including wins over Houston and Southland member Houston Baptist.  The Lady Tigers are batting just .215 as a team and the pitching staff has a 7.31 ERA. Fellow SWAC school Mississippi Valley State brings a 1-11 record to the tournament. MSVU recorded a 6-5 win over Austin Peay in the opening weekend but have since lost nine in a row.
 
Southern Miss posts the best record of any team in the tournament at 8-4, helped by a recent three-game sweep over Mississippi Valley State. The Golden Eagles are batting .334 on the year, paced by Sarah Evans who is hitting an even .500. Katie Cleary is also swinging a hot bat for USM, hitting .410 with a team-high 16 RBIs. In the circle, Samantha Robles has a 3-1 record with a 3.30 ERA.