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THIBODAUX, La. - The defending Southland champion Nicholls State University softball team opens conference play this weekend at Central Arkansas, starting with a Friday doubleheader at 5 p.m. Saturday's finale is scheduled for 12 p.m.

Nicholls (10-11) was selected as the preseason favorite to repeat as regular season champs, following an impressive 21-6 record in the league last season. The Colonels won the conference by 3.0 games before being upset in the tournament by No. 3 McNeese.

The title defense begins after the Colonels finished a game below .500 through their first 21 games. Nicholls faced a loaded nonconference slate in order to prepare for Southland play, taking on squads such as Ole Miss, Illinois, Maryland, South Alabama, and Pitt.

Despite the competition, the Colonel pitching staff brings a collective 2.31 ERA into the weekend. Headed by reigning Southland Pitcher of the Year Megan Landry, the ERA is tops in the Southland thanks to Landry's 1.69 mark. She is 8-4 with 74 strikeouts and a .198 opponent batting average. Alexis LaBure has the second-most starts with eight, going 2-6 with a 3.10 ERA.

UCA (11-10) heads into the series as the SLC's top hitting team, boasting a .324 batting average. Cylia Hill and Libby Morris are both batting over .400, with Hill ranking second in the Southland at .467. They also rank No. 1 and 2 in the Southland, respectively, with 23 and 19 RBIs.

The Colonels have yet to find their swing at the plate, ranking eighth in the league with a .234 average. But head coach Angel Santiago has been switching up the lineup as only five players have more than 30 at-bats. Emma Hollands has a team-best .333 average while Amanda Gianelloni has 10 RBIs, five doubles and three home runs.

The Bears have four players who have tossed at least 19 innings. Jordan Johnson has been the ace of the staff so far, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.60 ERA in 32.1 innings.

FOLLOW ALONG
The Colonel softball team can be followed all season long on Twitter @Nicholls_SB.
 

Its HERE.....⚔Nicholls Softball⚔ early "Give~N~Day" has arrived! Check out our Awesome Goals in the link below! Our Colonel Softball would love your support. #GeauxColonels #ChampionshipMindset https://t.co/0DAo5lwpY0 pic.twitter.com/ocKjOWPa4Q

— Nicholls Softball (@Nicholls_SB) February 28, 2019