With a blanket of snow covering the better part of DeKalb, the NIU softball team will do its best bird imitation by migrating south to Florida this weekend.

Despite expected temperatures in the low 80s in Fort Myers, it won’t be all sunbathing and swimming for the team. The Huskies will play a strenuous six games in three days.

With last weekend’s trip to Kentucky canceled, this set of games will mark the season opener for NIU.

“We’ve been working hard this winter,” NIU pitcher Kate Greenough said. “It’ll be nice to get on the field and play outside. This is what we‘ve been waiting for all winter.”

NIU’s practices thus far have been limited to the indoors.

First-year head coach Lindsay Chouinard said those walls have been closing in of late.

“It’ll be good to get outside,” she said. “I think we’re all going a little stir-crazy playing inside all the time.”

NIU’s trio of double-headers will begin today with games against Mercer and Florida Gulf Coast. Saturday the Huskies take on St. Francis and Mount St. Mary’s. The Huskies will end where they began on Sunday, with games against Florida Gulf Coast and Mercer.

This is the first of four tournament trips for the team this season, and this trip is much anticipated for Chouinard.

“We have a lot of tournaments, but I’m not going to lie, I’m looking forward to Florida,” she said. “The weather is going to be beautiful. And really, any opportunity the team has to play will speak volumes of how hard the team has worked this year.”

Despite not having played a game this season, NIU is already down one member. Junior designated hitter Randi Kreiter decided to leave the team earlier this week.