LOS ANGELES, Calif., -- The Loyola Marymount softball team will play its first game of the National Invitational Softball Championship against Nevada on Thursday. 
 
The second seeded Lions (35-18, 11-4) will be defending their title, as the team will open up against a 27-25 the No. 3 seed Nevada team that went 11-13 in the Mountain West. LMU us 1-5 against the Wolf Pack all-time. The teams last met in 2012, where the Lions shutout Nevada 4-0. 
 
UC Riverside and Fresno State will also be competing in the regional. The winner of Thursday's game will play either the No. 4 Highlanders or the No. 1 Bulldogs on Friday at 1 p.m. The loser of Thursday's game will play the loser of the UC Riverside or Fresno State on Friday at 10 a.m. 
 
Fresno State posts a 36-18 record, while going 14-10 in conference play, while UC Riverside is 26-25 on the season, and went 8-13 in conference play.