BEAUMONT, Texas - The Nicholls State University baseball team (7-4) returns to action on Friday when the Colonels turn their attention to the Southland Conference season by opening the league schedule with a three-game series at Lamar (8-6) beginning on Friday in Beaumont.

The Colonels will be returning to action for the first time since Sunday after severe weather in southern Louisiana this week rained out a pair of Nicholls midweek contests.  Nicholls will be facing a Lamar squad that has put together an impressive start to the season, earning victories over national powers such as No. 15 Rice and Cal State Northridge.  However, the Cardinals have also proven to be vulnerable, dropping decisions to Akron, Texas Southern and San Francisco.

The Cardinals, a traditional conference power, are led by a pitching staff that boasts the fifth best staff ERA in the Southland Conference.  Lamar pitching has limited opposing lineups to 51 earned runs in 129.0 IP for a team ERA of 3.56.  The Cardinals boast two pitchers in the league's top ten in ERA entering the weekend.

However, Nicholls boasts a solid pitching staff of it's own.  The Colonels begin the weekend with a staff ERA of 2.91 (31 ER/96.0 IP), the fourth best mark in the conference.

First pitch for the series opener is set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch in Beaumont.  Game two of the series is set for a 3 p.m. start time on Saturday with Sunday's finale set for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.  Links to live streaming audio webcasts of every game of the Lamar series will be available on the baseball schedule page of www.geauxcolonels.com, courtesy of www.thibodauxonline.com.

Following the Lamar series, the Colonels will return to Nicholls to host national power LSU on Wednesday March 16 at Ray E. Didier Field.  First pitch against the Tigers is set for 6 p.m.