La. Tech provides midweek test before Colonels host UNO to open Southland play

After dropping three games on the road at Nebraska against the Cornhuskers, the Nicholls baseball team will look to get back on track with a midweek game against Louisiana Tech before opening up Southland Conference play.

Nicholls will take on visiting Louisiana Tech at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday before host a three-game series against the University of New Orleans on Friday-Sunday.

The Colonels (17-6) were hit hard in their three-game series at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers pounded out a total of 35 hits in the three games combined, defeating the Colonels, 7-6, 16-0, and 11-4.

Louisiana Tech (16-6) is coming off an 11-1 loss Tuesday against No. 4 LSU. Prior to that, Tech pulled off a three-game home sweep of Northwestern State. The Bulldogs defeated the Demons by scores of 11-9, 7-5, and 15-5.

In the series finale, Louisiana Tech scored 15 runs on 19 hits.

A total of six Bulldogs are hitting above .300 on the season.

Leading the way is Ethan Bates. Bates is hitting .391 with four home runs and has driven in a team-high 32 runs.

Cole McConnell, who is second on the team in hitting with a .384 average, paces the team in home runs with six.

Dalton Davis, who is third on the team in hitting with a .373 average, leads the team with seven stolen bases.

UNO (9-10) in coming off a home series in which the Privateers dropped two of three to Memphis.

The Privateers were edged in the first game of the series 5-4 last Friday. UNO won the first game of a double-header on Saturday 6-1 before dropping the final game 12-10.

UNO hosts Jackson State on Wednesday before taking on Nicholls to open SLC play.

Mitchell Sanford leads the Privateers in hitting with a .364 average, while also topping UNO in home runs, runs batted in and stolen bases.

He has five home runs and 25 RBI, along with five stolen bases.

Collin Loupe is hitting .356 for UNO, Victor Castillo .352, and Miguel Useche .323.

The three starters for UNO in the Memphis series were Colton Mercer, Grant Edwards, and Caleb Seroski.

Mercer (1-3) has an earned run average of 5.96. He has allowed 24 runs on 26 hits and nine walks, while striking out 27 in 22 2/3 innings.

Edwards (2-1) sports and ERA of 4.55. He has allowed 14 runs on 27 hits and seven walks, while striking out 20 in 27 2/3 innings.

Seroski (2-1) has a 4.86 ERA. Seroski has allowed nine runs on 26 hits and two walks, while striking out 12 in 16 2/3 innings.