NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – After having its last tournament canceled by Mother Nature, the Niagara University softball team (3-7) returns to the diamond this weekend when it travels to Baltimore, Md., to play in the UMBC Spring Classic.

To make up for lost games, the Purple Eagles will play host UMBC in a single game Thursday at 4 p.m. before opening play in the Classic.

First pitch for Niagara in the Classic is Friday at 11:30 a.m. when they play Cleveland State. At 3:30 p.m. Niagara takes on the host Retrievers. Saturday, the Purple Eagles meet Sacred Heart at 2:30 p.m., and Holy Cross on Sunday at 9 a.m. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

Preseason All-MAAC pick Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) is hitting a team-best .345 and tops the team in hits (10) and RBI (5).

Fellow preseason All-MAAC selection, senior Nicole Sum (Burnaby, B.C.), is tied for first in doubles (3) and is hitting .304. Sophomore Felicia Coffey (Mesa, Ariz.) has five RBI, three doubles and eight hits.

On the mound, junior Tiffany McCrory (Albuquerque, N.M.) has a 0.55 earned-run average in four appearances. She sports a 2-2 record, two shutouts and 23 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched.

Cleveland State is off to its best start in school history with an 11-2 record. The Vikings have won their last three games and went 8-2 in the Rebel Games.

UMBC sits at 6-4 overall, but has dropped its last three games. Just like Niagara, the Retrievers were washed out at the Delaware State Bash at the Beach last weekend.

Sacred Heart is 1-4 in its last five games and stands at 4-6 overall. The Pioneers victory at the Rebel Games was a 2-1 win over East Tennessee.

Holy Cross has one win in its first 11 games and is 1-10 on the season. The Crusaders finished the Rebel Games with a 1-7 record. The lone victory was a 3-2 win over Detroit.

Last year, Niagara went 1-1 vs. Cleveland State in a doubleheader, lost 10-9 to UMBC, and beat Sacred Heart 7-3 and 10-2.