STARKVILLE, Miss. – After a disappointing outing against SEC power Alabama on Wednesday night, the Nicholls State University baseball team won't have to wait long for a chance at redemption as the squad makes the short drive from Tuscaloosa, Ala. to Starkville, Miss. for four games against UMass Lowell and No. 17 Mississippi State.
 
The Colonels (4-1) will battle the River Hawks (0-0) at 1 p.m. on Friday before a matchup with the Bulldogs (2-2) 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. to close out the weekend.
 
The Colonels had a dominant opening series at The Did, scoring 52 runs in a four-game sweep of Mississippi Valley State, but Nicholls was unable to generate the same kind of offense against the Crimson Tide.
 
This weekend's series will be the first action of the year for the River Hawks, who finished 17-26, last year. Friday's matchup will also be the first meeting between UMass Lowell and the Colonels in program history.
 
The Bulldogs opened their 2016 campaign with a pair of losses at the hands of Florida Atlantic, and two wins over South Dakota State. Mississippi State fell, 10-6 and 4-0, against the Owls, but cruised against the Jackrabbits, 17-4 and 15-5 (seven innings). The Bulldogs own a 7-0 advantage in the all-time series against Nicholls, and earned consecutive victories of 10-8 and 6-3, when the programs last met in 2009.
 
Kyle Reese leads the Southland Conference in batting average (.737), hits (14) and RBIs (13). Ethan Valdez tops the league in runs scored (10) and stolen bases (five). While Reese and Shermer pace the Nicholls offense, a number of Colonels have made significant offensive contributions this season, helping the team to 53 runs in just five games.
 
Jack Kruger leads Mississippi State in batting average (.563), slugging percentage (1.063), RBIs (nine), hits (nine) and runs (eight). Luke Alexander and Jacob Robinson each have a team-high two runs on the season.
 
The River Hawks finished third in the America East Conference in back-to-back years, but lost nearly their entire starting lineup from last season. With 16 newcomers, UMass Lowell is an untested and unpredictable squad.
 
PROBABLE STARTING ROTATION:
 
NICHOLLS (Fri.) - RHP Justin Sinibaldi (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 SO, 5.0 IP)
NICHOLLS (Sat.) - RHP Cole Stapler (1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6 SO, 6.0 IP)
NICHOLLS (Sun. Game 1) - RHP Jake Smith (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 8 SO, 6.0 IP)
NICHOLLS (Sun. Game 2) - LHP Alex Ernestine (1-0, 5.40 ERA, 6 SO, 5.0 IP)
 
MISSISSIPPI STATE (Sat.) - LHP Daniel Brown (0-0, 5.79, 7 SO, 4.2 IP)
MISSISSIPPI STATE (Sun.) - RHP Zac Houston (0-0, 2.45, 3 SO, 3.2 IP)
 
UMASS LOWELL - None Announced
 
Following this weekend's action, Nicholls will host No. 5 LSU at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Ray E. Didier Field.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls baseball, visit geauxcolonels.com.