TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Nicholls State University baseball team couldn't have asked for a much better start to its 2016 campaign, scoring 52 runs in a four-game season-opening sweep of Mississippi Valley State in Thibodaux. The competition will be tougher on Wednesday as the squad faces Southeastern Conference power Alabama at 6:30 p.m. in the newly renovated Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
 
The Colonels (4-0) were a dominant force against the Devils over the weekend, but face a more challenging matchup against the Crimson Tide (2-1).
 
Alabama took two of three games in its season-opening series against Maryland. The Tide earned a 3-1 victory in the opener, before falling, 9-5, in game two. Alabama closed out the weekend with a 5-1 rubber match victory over the Terrapins.
 
The Crimson Tide holds a 5-1 edge in the all-time series against Nicholls. Alabama earned consecutive victories of 11-4 and 8-7 (10 innings), when the two programs last met in 2009.
 
Last season the Crimson Tide finished 32-28, with a 12-18 mark in league play, reaching the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. Alabama lost four of its top hitters from a year ago, but return a combined 10 starters between positional and starting pitching spots. The Crimson Tide retains its team leader in home runs, Will Haynie (eight HRs), and the program's top base runner, Georgie Salem (17 SBs).
 
Nicholls leads the nation in runs scored (52) and sacrifice flies (seven). The Colonels are second nationally in hits (59), stolen bases (16) and triples (four). Nicholls is third in the country in stolen bases per game (four), fourth in triples per game (one) and fifth in batting average (.401).
 
Kyle Reese is first in the nation in batting average (.800), RBIs (13) and hits (12). Ethan Valdez is first in the nation in runs scored (eight), and Joey Morales is first in the nation in triples (two).
 
Probable starting rotation:
 
NICHOLLS: Redshirt-junior LHP Mike Hanchar
 
Hanchar tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts in relief against MVSU on Saturday, but will make his first start since the 2014 season. He has thrown 21 innings, with six appearances and four starts over his time with the Colonels. Hanchar has a 0.86 career ERA with 16 strikeouts.
 
ALABAMA: Senior RHP Ray Castillo
 
Castillo made 24 appearances for the Crimson Tide last year and led the bullpen with a 3.12 ERA. Wednesday will be his first appearance this season.
 
Nicholls will next head to Starkville, Miss. to play four games against UMass-Lowell and Mississippi State. The Colonels will battle the River Hawks at 1 p.m. on Friday before a matchup with the Bulldogs at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Nicholls will face UMass-Lowell at noon on Sunday, followed immediately by a game against Mississippi State at 3:30 p.m.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls baseball, visit geauxcolonels.com.