THIBODAUX, La. - Nicholls State University softball head coach Justin Lewis announced Monday the team's 2022 game schedule, which features a total of 49 games highlighted by 11 home contests at Swanner Field at GeoSurfaces Park. 

Under first-year head coach Lewis, Nicholls will play in five pre-conference tournaments before entering Southland play. The schedule is loaded with tough opposition as the Colonels will have 17 games against teams that participated in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Nicholls is slated to take on traditional powerhouses Alabama, Minnesota, Texas, LSU and Louisiana, and also play ACC member Boston College and SEC's Ole Miss. Other '21 postseason qualifiers include Eastern Kentucky, Troy, South Alabama, Portland State, and reigning Southland champion McNeese.

For the 11th time in the last 12 years, the season begins in Hammond, Louisiana at the Lion Classic on Feb. 11. After a matchup on the road at nationally-ranked Louisiana (Feb. 15), the Colonels will spend the next four weekends on the road in tournaments -- Troy Tournament (Feb. 18-20), Mardi Gras Mambo (Feb. 25-27), Samford Invitational (March 5-6), and Lone Star Invitational (March 11-13). 

The home opener is scheduled for March 9 against Southern University. Nicholls will also have a home-and-home with South Alabama, traveling to Mobile a week later before hosting USA on April 20. The final game of the pre-conference schedule is at LSU on March 22. 

League play begins with two road series at UIW (March 25-26) and Northwestern State (April 1-2). Following a nonconference weekend series at Louisiana Tech, Nicholls returns to Thibodaux for a seven-game home stand. The Colonels host rival Southeastern for their first home series (April 15-16) and after the nonconference matchup with South Alabama, Nicholls welcomes Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on April 22-23.

The final two conference series pits the Colonels against HBU on the road (April 29-30) and at home versus McNeese (May 6-7). 

The Southland Conference Tournament will be held in Hammond, Louisiana, starting on May 10. 

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