After hosting its first tournament of the season, the Vidalia Vikings are getting set to host the Vidalia Invitational, starting Thursday March 15.

“We got a lot out of last weekend,” Vidalia head coach John Lee Hoffpauir said. “The hardest thing to do is win a tournament you are hosting.”

He said his team picked up two quality wins before falling to Pineville in the championship game last Saturday night.

“We kind of ran out of gas against Pineville,” he said.

The Vikings have had a short break to refuel before they take on Block today at 4 p.m. on the road, and then get set for hosting their second tournament in two weeks on Thursday.

This year’s invitational field will include teams from Minden La. and Rayville La., along with Franklin Parish, Cathedral and Vidalia.

“Historically this has been the tournament where we have had teams from Oklahoma and Arkansas,” Hoffpauir said.

He said the Oklahoma teams were not able to make it to the tournament this season because of a change in the spring break schedule in Oklahoma.

Hoffpauir said his club is still not swinging their bats well, but added they have compensated by playing hard.

“Right now we are scraping for runs and relying on pitching and defense,” he said.

Following the Vidalia Invitational, the Vikings will take on Plainview Oklahoma on Thursday, March 22, and then Cathedral that following Saturday.