**UPDATED SCHEDULE**
Friday, Feb. 16
vs UTSA -- 1:30 pm
vs UMass -- 4 pm

THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University softball team will begin the Houston Classic a day earlier than scheduled, taking on the host Houston Cougars Thursday (Feb. 15) night at 7 p.m. The schedule was altered due to potential weather in the area.

The Colonels will take on UTSA (11:30 a.m.) and UMass (2 p.m.) on Friday before a Saturday night rematch against Houston (6:30 p.m.). Nicholls wraps up the classic on Sunday against UMass (9 a.m.).

The Red and Gray are off to a 4-2 start after winning the last three games of the Mardi Gras Mambo. The Colonels opened the tournament with a run-rule victory over Green Bay before falling to North Dakota, 4-2, on Friday. Nicholls bounced back with a Saturday sweep of Providence and UT Arlington before knocking off Montana on Sunday. The Colonels opened their season Thursday with a loss to No. 15 LSU. 

Audrey McNeill was dominant over the weekend and was named Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week for the opening week. In her three outings in the Mardi Gras Mambo, McNeill allowed just one earned runs in 13 innings, struck out 12 and gave up a combined four hits. She saved her best for last as she tossed four hitless innings in the win over Montana.

Also throwing for the Colonels, Molly Yoo saw 11-plus innings in the circle and totaled 10 strikeouts. Averi Paden earned a win in relief while freshman Katy Sanders made two appearance with two strikeouts.

The offense had production from some familiar faces as returning starters Alexa Poche' (7), Erin Krause (6), Abby Andersen (5) had five or more hits in the opening week. But also contributing in a big way in their debuts in the lineup were Reagan Heflin and Gabby Higbee. After logging just eight at-bats in her freshman season, Heflin led the Colonels this week with a .467 batting average, helped by two doubles and a triple. Along with tying Poche' for the team-lead in hits, Heflin led the Colonels with five RBIs. Higbee batted at the leadoff spot and totaled five hits and four runs scored.

Houston is hosting a tournament for the second straight weekend after going 4-0 with two run-rule victories to start the season. The Cougars and Colonels will be squaring off for the first time since 2019 when the Colonels' all-time leader in wins, Megan Landry, outdueled AAC Pitcher of the Year Savannah Heebner in an eight-inning 2-0 victory. 

UTSA opened its season at Texas State and fell in all five games, including an 8-2 loss against Northwestern State.  UMass played in Georgia Southern's tournament and went 2-3, picking up wins against GSU and Radford. 

ON DECK
Nicholls will make its home debut at Swanner Field with a doubleheader against Alcorn on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.