THIBODAUX, La. – For the first time since 2017, the Nicholls State University baseball will begin the season in a three-game series on the road as they will battle the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on Feb. 13-15.
 
First pitch on Friday from Lindsey Nelson Stadium is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET while Saturday and Sunday's games will start at 1 p.m. ET. All three contests will be streamed via SEC Network+.
 
The season opening series marks the first ever matchup between the two teams, however Nicholls has played several SEC opponents over the years. This weekend marks the first series since the Colonels hosted Missouri for a four-game set to open the 2022 season.
 
Last season, Nicholls finished the season 17-32 overall and missed the Southland Conference Tournament after going 10-20 in league play. Under second-year head coach Brent Haring, the Colonels welcome back 20 players including seven total starters. The Red & Gray were also active in recruiting as they brought in 17 transfers and nine freshmen.
 
A year ago, Nicholls hit .255 with 237 runs scored, 66 doubles and 15 home runs. Among the returners are productive batters Carter Jenkins and Karson Irvin. Jenkins is coming off a season where he batted a team-best .326 with 43 hits including five doubles, one triple and one home run. He also tallied 20 RBI and scored 14 runs. Irvin started every game last season and finished with a .303 batting average, totaling 57 hits with seven doubles, one triple. He had 16 multi-hit games, produced 23 RBI and was active on the base pads as he swiped eight bases and scored a team-best 39 times. The Red & Gray also welcome back Aaron Biediger who brings a 12- game on-base streak into the 2026 season was second on the team with 25 RBI last year.
 
Last season, the pitching staff posted a 6.27 ERA. Nuno Parache headlines the returners as he went 4-1 with a 3.81 ERA in 54.1 innings. He totaled 45 strikeouts and had a .254 opponent batting average. Parache ended the season on a high note as he threw all seven innings in the 13-0 run-rule victory over Southeastern. After fanning a season-high 10 batters while allowing just two hits he was named SLC Pitcher of the Week and College Baseball Foundation (CBF) National Pitcher of the Week for the final week of the season. Also returning on the mound will be Cole Simoneaux and Dalton Hill. As a true freshman Simoneaux totaled 37 strikeouts while allowing 26 hits and 23 earned runs in 32 innings of work across 20 games. Hill saw action in 15 games including 10 starts and registered 30 strikeouts while allowing 39 hits and 34 earned runs in 39 innings.