THIBODAUX, La. – With baseball opening day just two days away, Nicholls State University head coach Seth Thibodeaux gave an in-depth analysis of his pitching staff and catchers.

The Colonels are facing the challenges of replacing weekend starters Alex Ernestine and Cayden Hatcher and late relievers Christian Bahlinger and Jarred Scott. Those four pitched 268 ⅓ innings, nearly 51 percent of total mound time last season.

Nicholls will rely on the starting experience of Jacob Bedevian and Parker White, who combined for 22 starts, and heightened relief roles in Brandon Andrews, Zach Autin, Austin Bollinger, Cyle Clayton and Bryan Taylor. Taylor was the winning pitcher against Purdue, a 2018 regional participant, and NCAA College World Series runner-up Mississippi State.

Another plus is the return of Adam Tarver, a Baton Rouge native who notched eight saves in 2017 before sitting out majority of last season due to injury.

Newcomers Trever Kilcrease and Shane Mejia Jr. will be opening weekend starters on Friday and Sunday, respectively.

The Red and Grey will also be looking to fill the void left by Kyle Knauth, who started 57 of 60 games at catcher last season. Dillon Belle caught one game last season and batted .324, the third-best average on the team. Belle hit a game-tying solo homer in the Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinals, helping the team come from behind to oust Southeastern Louisiana and make its first semifinal appearance since 2011.



Visit geauxcolonels.com for the most up-to-date information on Nicholls baseball. Be sure to follow the team on Twitter @Nicholls_BASE.