THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University baseball team will make the short drive up interstate 10 to Baton Rouge to face Southern University in a non-conference rematch on Wednesday.
 
The Jaguars (7-21) and Colonels (21-20) faced off earlier in the month, with Southern taking a 5-2 victory. The Jaguars have lost five of their last six games, but are coming off of an 8-5 win over Texas Southern on Saturday. Nicholls most recently won its series against the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. After dropping the series opener, the Colonels took the final two games by outscoring the Cardinals 11-0.
 
Wednesday's matchup will feature a deja vu pitching dual between righties Ryan Deemes and Ryan Flynn, who each tossed four innings when the teams faced each other on April 1. In the ballgame, Deemes allowed four hits with no runs, while Flynn surrendered one run on one hit.
 
Deemes is coming off of a string of successful outings, boasting a 1.68 ERA with 13 strikeouts to just three walks in his last four appearances. In the same span, Flynn has an ERA of 5.25 with seven walks while striking out just three batters.
 
Keith Cormier leads the Colonels offensively with a .299 batting average, .407 slugging percentage and 31 RBIs on the season. Leo Vargas is fourth in the nation in sacrifice bunts and leads the team in runs scored with 29.
 
Jose DeLaTorre leads the Jaguars at the plate, hitting .357 on the year. D.J. Wallace leads the team in RBIs with 26 and Tyler Kirksey has scored a team-leading 17 runs.
 
The Colonels have ridden a stout defense to first in the Southland Conference standings and are currently third in the nation in double plays with 45.
 
Wednesday's game will be broadcast on KTIB 640 AM. Nicholls will return to conference action this weekend in a three-game series against the University of New Orleans beginning Friday at 6 p.m. at Ray E. Didier Field.