SOUTHLAND TOURNAMENT PAGE | LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM | BRACKET (PDF)
NATCHITOCHES, La. – After bringing home the runner-up trophy the last two years, the Nicholls State University softball team will look to claim its first Southland Conference Tournament title since 1997 as the No. 2 seed Colonels take on the red-hot No. 6 seed Northwestern State Wednesday, May, 8 at Lady Demon Diamond. FIrst pitch was moved up two hours to 11:30 a.m. with weather expected in the area.
The Colonels (32-30, 21-6 SLC) received a double bye for the fourth consecutive year and will have to face NSU on its home turf after the Lady Demons knocked off No. 7 Lamar and No. 3 McNeese in Tuesday's opening round. Nicholls has won six straight against Northwestern State, including a sweep earlier this year in Thibodaux, but NSU took the last series in Natchitoches in 2017, two games to one.
FOLLOWING ALONG
• Games 1-11 are slated to be streamed live on the Southland Digital Network, which is available via southlanddigitalnetwork.com and on Southland Conference apps. Tony Taglavore, Jason Pugh and Patrick Netherton will share play-by-play duties.
• Coverage transitions to the ESPN family of networks for the championship round. Game 12 is scheduled to receive national television coverage on ESPNU, in addition to streaming availability on ESPN.com/watch and ESPN apps. Four-time Louisiana sportscaster of the year Lyn Rollins and two-time NFCA All-American Tori Vidales will call the action for the title stage. Coverage for Game 13 (if necessary) will shift to ESPN3, online-only through ESPN.com/watch and ESPN apps.
• For social media coverage, follow the Colonels on Twitter @Nicholls_SB.
TOURNEY NOTES
• Nicholls will play in the Southland Tournament for the 13th time in program history and third time as a No. 2 seed in the last four years. The Colonels earned their second straight runners-up after falling in the championship last season as a No. 1 seed.
• The Colonels are 24-21 all-time after going 2-2 in last season's tournament. Nicholls opened with a win over Southeastern Louisiana, then fell to McNeese in eight innings for a spot in the championship. The Colonels then defeated SLU again, but lost for a second time in the first game of the title match as the Cowgirls rallied in the seventh.
• Nicholls is the 2-seed for the fifth time in program history. The Colonels won the title in 1997, and were runners-up in '98 and 2017. The 2016 squad fell in their first game before ending with a 1-2 record.
• Nicholls claimed 21 league wins for the third time in the last four years, and the lone exception was a 19-win effort in 2017.
• With at least 32 victories in the last four years, the Colonels are enjoying their best stretch since the team's first seven seasons in the Southland from 1992-98.
• Nicholls was perfect in five SLC series this season, including a sweep against tournament host Northwestern State. The Colonels swept NSU the last two seasons at Swanner Field after dropping a thrilling series in Natchitoches in 2017.
2019 SENIOR CLASS
• After the program missed the tournament five straight years, the 2019 Senior Class led the Colonels to four consecutive appearances - Three No. 2 seeds and one No. 1
• 82-25 (.766) record in SLC games
• Combined for 14 All-Southland Honors -- (7) First, (6) Second, (1) Third
• Went 63-10 in Thibodaux
• Won first regular season title ('18) since 1996
