THIBODAUX - The Nicholls State University baseball team (10-14, 1-7 Southland Conference) goes in search of its first three game winning streak in a month when the Colonels open a three-game conference series against Southland Conference rival Texas-Arlington (14-11, 6-3 Southland Conference) on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. at Ray E. Didier Field.

The Colonels will be looking for their third consecutive victory after picking up wins over Loyola-New Orleans on Tuesday and Alcorn State on Wednesday.  A win over the Mavericks in the series opener would give the Colonels their first three-game winning streak since Nicholls rattled off five straight wins from Feb. 23 through March 1.

More importantly, a strong showing against the Mavericks would help the Colonels gain ground in a crowded conference race.  The weekend begins with Nicholls 3.0 games behind McNeese State and Sam Houston State who are tied for seventh.  The Cowboys and Bearkats are just 2.0 games behind a three-way tie for third place in the league.

The Colonels are led by senior shortstop Chase Jaramillo who ranks fourth in the conference with a .398 batting average.  Meanwhile, the Nicholls pitching staff is led by junior right hander Seth Webster, who will get the start on Friday night and boasts a 1.85 earned run average, the fourth best mark in the league.

The Mavericks answer with one of the top pitching staffs in the league.  UT Arlington has allowed just 105 runs through the first 25 games of the season, the second best total in the league, while also boasting a 3.72 staff ERA, the fifth best mark in the Southland. 

After Friday's opener, the Colonels and Mavericks will square off for a 3 p.m. first pitch on Saturday in game two.  Sunday's series finale is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch at Ray E. Didier Field.  Following the weekend series against the Mavericks, Nicholls will head to Acadian Ballpark in New Iberia for an April 5 contest against Southern before returning to Ray E. Didier Field to conclude a seven-game homestand on April 6 by hosting the University of New Orleans.