After sweeping their doubleheader last Sunday in the Lion Classic, the Colonel softball team will try to continue their winning streak as they travel to Houston this weekend to take on nationally ranked teams in the Houston Hilton Plaza Classic.

Head coach Jenny Parsons says this tournament will be “tough” and “all of it is just going to make us better.”

The Colonels will face No. 18 Louisiana State University once and No. 22 Oklahoma State University twice in weekend match-ups.

“I’m interested to see how well we do against LSU and Oklahoma State. Where they are at, I want to see where we are at and how we react,” Parsons said.

After going 2-2 in the Lion Classic, Parsons was pleased with the team’s overall performance in the tournament.

“I was happy with how we performed,” Parsons said, “I was disappointed with the game we let get away from us. Overall, I was pleased at how we hit the ball, scored runs and played pretty good defense. So far so good.”

The Colonels will have to wait until March 5 to finally play on home turf. This game will also mark the start of conference as the Colonels host Sam Houston in a double header.

“We were picked to finish eighth but if you looked at the standings at the end of last year, anybody one through eight could have beaten anybody,” Parsons said.

Despite playing tough conference competitors as defending conference champions McNeese State University, runners up Texas State and regular season champs Stephen F. Austin, Parsons said, “We expect to win and do well in conference.”

“The University of Central Arkansas didn’t make the tournament but they swept the best team in the conference. It’s a tough conference,” Parsons said.

“We want to win conference and win the regular season. We have individual goals but we want to compete every weekend to make sure were better,” Parsons said.

The Colonels have six true freshmen and two junior college transfers adding into the lineup this season competing for spots with Nicholls’ veteran players.

“It’s a matter of matching up who is going to perform well against what team. It’s a matter of how people are going to react and respond to what is ahead of them.”

The Colonels will take on Sam Houston, Southern University, Alcorn State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, LSU, Southern Mississippi, Texas State, Southeastern and Northwestern University at home this season.

“If you want to see an exciting product and a fast pace game, you need to come check us out.  We work hard and play hard. The game in itself is an exciting game to watch. If you haven’t seen if before you have to come check us out.”