Following a strong showing at the Mardi Gras Mambo, the Nicholls State softball team heads east this weekend for the Troy Invitational, hosted by Troy University, beginning Friday, Feb. 20.
The Colonels (6-3) open tournament play Friday morning against Kennesaw State at 11:00 a.m., then return to the field at 6:30 p.m. to face host Troy. Saturday’s slate features an early 8:30 a.m. matchup with Furman before Nicholls closes out the weekend against Omaha at 1:30 p.m.
Friday night’s contest against Troy will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Nicholls enters the invitational riding a three-game winning streak after claiming four of five games at the Mardi Gras Mambo. The Colonels split action on Friday with a run-rule victory over Eastern Illinois followed by a 4-0 setback to St. Thomas. They responded by closing the tournament with wins over Georgia State, New Mexico, and SIUE.
The pitching staff set the tone all weekend, combining for a stellar 1.40 ERA. Molly Yoo, who earned Southland Pitcher of the Week honors, went 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA across three appearances. She struck out 13 batters in 17.0 innings and threw two complete games, including a shutout in a 1-0 win over Georgia State. Averi Paden also delivered a complete-game performance, striking out a career-high eight in a 6-1 victory over New Mexico.
Offensively, Erin Krause paced the Colonels with a .467 average and six RBIs, punctuating the weekend with a walk-off two-run home run in the eighth inning against SIUE. She currently leads Nicholls with a .414 batting average and is tied with Claire Sisco (.375) for the team lead with 12 hits. Laylin Sturm owns a .389 average with seven hits, bolstered by nine walks and three hit-by-pitches.
Kennesaw State enters at 2-6 after earning a 4-3 win over Miami (Ohio) in the Carolina Classic. Troy carries a 9-1 record and a six-game winning streak into the weekend. The Trojans swept Nicholls in their last meeting in 2022, winning 10-9 and 8-0 (5 inn.).
Saturday’s opponents present contrasting resumes. Furman stands at 1-8, while Omaha is a perfect 9-0 and ranked No. 1 in D1Softball’s Mid-Major Top 25. Troy is also nationally recognized, coming in at No. 20 in the rankings.
Up Next
Nicholls returns home Wednesday, Feb. 25 for its home opener against Southern Miss. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
